The Eye of the Beholder
by DarkKyoko
Summary: Adalia was your average mutant with average Pyrokinetic powers before the 'Accident'...Now She's got to find the Truth about her parents and her own Past. Rated T for Moments of Language.
1. An Average Day

Okay, I don't own any of the X-men...But Kurt _May _be returned eventually. I haven't decided yet so pooh to you too.

* * *

"Excuse me. Oops, Sorry. Oh my gosh, I'm so Sorry." Adalia Said as she stumbled through a crowd. She Tried to see around the hulking crowd to the Accident that had happened, but sighed in frustration and shrunk away from everybody then Disappeared. She reappeared on one of the Spires on the Brooklyn bridge, looking down at the Accident. Damn people, never listen. She thought angrily as her eyes became slitted, like at cat's. "Nuts...I hate oil." She said, then put on her mask and jumped down, the crowd Screaming and Crying as she fell. She landed on her feet and used the momentum of her drop to shoot forward as she grabbed the humans inside the car and Slimmed, breaking through the window on the other side. She grabbed onto a thick wire from the Bridge and swung back onto the ground, dropping them and jumping back over the wreck. She threw out her arms and they became wings as she draped them over the Car, just as it exploded. She grit her teeth and clenched her wing muscles, ignoring the Pain from the glass stabbing into her wings. As the Blast subsided, she landed and gently folded her wings. The crowd cheered weakly, Much to Adalia's Surprise. She Leapt up onto the Spire again and flew off, her Rosary tinkling in the wind that whipped her hair out of her ponytail and made the Shards of Glass in her wings twitch painfully. She flew behind a Church and took off her mask, then contracted her wings and walked to the Front. When she entered the empty chruch she opened the door to a booth and went in, "Forgive me father, for I have sinned." She whispered. "What sins do you speak of, my child?" He replied. "I have protected, but I had broken a vow I made in the process." She said. "My Child, What wounds have you recieved for this act of good?" He asked, turning to look at Her as he opened the screen. "My wings..." She whispered, turning for him to see the glass shards stabbing into the her back, where the tattos of Black wings were. "Come quickly, my child." he Said urgently as he closed the screen and opened the door, opening hers and helping her out.

Her back was bleeding profusely, but when she retracted her wings, They had taken the wounds when they unfolded and were only bleeding tiny droplets. "Your lucky they embedded themselves. If they went through you could have lost far too much blood." The Priest said as he took out the Shards and the wounds healed automaticly. "I still broke my vow, Father." She said, contracting her wings. "God Will understand." he said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Father...Will god forgive me for my past?" She asked, looking at him. "God is a very forgiving man, My child. He will forgive you for your past sins." He said as they returned to the main Church.

Adalia Checked her watch. 8:30. "I'm going to be late. Thank you, Father." Adalia Said and hugged the priest. She left the church and Hailed a Cab, Saying "The Midnight Lounge and Step on it. I'm probably going to be late." with a smile as they Drove off.

* * *

Kurt Sat in the Back of the Midnight lounge, listening to the various bands that went on. He was wearing his Image Producer on so he could leave the mansion and not be noticed, But he was still slightly Jittery around humans. He ordered another drink, not really listening to the Garage Bands that came on until a different voice came on. "Hey Everybody! I guess Tonight's request night, huh?" A girl said into the Microphone, all of it coming out naturally. The Crowd cheered in agreement. "Any requests?" She asked, but then was answered by different shouts from other people. "Okay, Okay. How about...You. Over there." She said pointing to a girl near Kurt. "How about 'Low'? The one by Kelly Clarkson." She said, slightly hesitant to speak. "Cool. Good enough for a Start up. Get Ready boys." She said, turning to talk to the house band. Kurt watched her with wide eyes as she began to sing, her voice was like an angel's: Pure and Sweet.

_Everybody's talkin'  
But they don't say a thing  
They look at me with sad eyes  
but I don't want their sympathy _

It's cool you didn't want me  
Sometimes you can't go back  
why'd you have to go and make a mess like that?  
Well I just have to say  
Before I let go...

Have you ever been low?  
Have you ever had a friend that let you down so?  
When the truth came out  
Were you the last to know?  
Were you left out in the cold?  
Cause what you did was low

No I don't need your number  
There's nothing left to say  
Cept I never thought it'd hurt this much to be sane  
My friends are outside waiting  
I've gotta go

Have you ever been low?  
Have you ever had a friend that let you down so?  
When the truth came out  
Were you the last to know?  
Were you left out in the cold?  
Cause what you did was low  
What you did was low  
What you did was low  
What you did was low

I walk out of this darkness  
With no sense of regret  
And I go with a clear conscience  
We both know that you can't say that  
Here's to show  
For all the time I loved you so  
So...

Have you ever been low?  
Have you ever had a friend that let you down so?  
When the truth came out  
Were you the last to know?  
Were you left out in the cold?  
Cause what you did was low

Have you ever been low?  
Have you ever had a friend that let you down so?  
When the truth came out  
Were you the last to know?  
Were you left out in the cold?  
Cause what you did was low

Have you ever been low? (have you ever been)  
Have you ever had a friend that let you down so?

Cause what you did was low...

The Song Ended and the crowd cheered loudly and enthusiasticly. Kurt sat back in his chair, still staring at the young woman who had sung so beautifully. It was like her voice was powered by a hidden ache inside that made it mournfully beautiful. After a few more songs, The woman said goodnight and retired to the bar and another band came up, easing everyone back into a contented stupor. The Bartender was the only one who talked to her as she sat at the bar, not really listening to anything at the moment. Just listening to her thoughts. "Who is zat Voman over zere?" Kurt asked his waitress. " The Singer girl that was up on the stage? Oh, She's just a Kid who keeps comin' in for us...Adalia Romanikoff. I dunno what Kinda Name is Romanikoff, though. Sounds like some kinda romanian name, but we all know One'a her folks was german. She's really Touchy about that kinda stuff, ya know?" The waitress said, pointing to Adalia. "You wanna Meet her?" She grinned as she slapped the check on the table. "Oh, Um..No Thank you." Kurt said quickly. "Hm. Alright. Suit yourself, honey." She said and turned, counting out her tip from the cash he had given her.

* * *

Adalia Sighed, then held her head in her hands as her elbows rested on the bar. "Yeah I know...It's Always Hell out there." The Bartender said as she put a Drink on the bar. "You know I don't drink that stuff. It's bad stuff." Adalia said. "New Stuff, Kiddie. It's for real." the bartender grinned, tapping the bottle with her nail. Adalia heard the flowing _ting_, "You didn't..." She looked at the Bottle of Absynthe. "You did. I'm surprised, this stuff's so illegal it makes drug dealin' down there with pickpockets." Adalia grinned, Taking a drink of the acid green liquid. She sighed contentedly, "You think your such a hardass, huh Ada?" the Bartender grinned as she slapped down a flier for a cage fight. "I believe I do. I may live in sin tonight, but maybe tomorrow God might forgive me." She said, taking a longer drink from the bottle and walking out.

* * *

Next chapter should be up sometime next week or so. And When I say she'sRetracting or Contracting her wings, they are appearing or disappearing from her back. When She folds them, they are still visible.


	2. Kidnapped

Kyoko-San-You know...It's kinda hard to write an X-men story when you haven't seen the movies in a while. I better rent those, huh?

**Ada-Ya Think?**

Kyoko-San-Not Really, But Most of the time I do.

**Ada-...Your a moron.**

Kyoko-San- No I'm not! I'm just...Very thorough about my thinking...I think.

**Ada-I rest my case.**

Kyoko-san- You know what? I rest My case! Then I rest Yours and Everybody Else's! Take that!

**Ada-I'm not even going to bother. On with the Story.**

Kyoko-san-You can't say that! Only I can say that! On with The story!

* * *

"Yeah! Go! Rip his head off!" The spectators screamed at the fighting pair in the cage. Adalia Slapped a twenty down on the table, "Enter me." She said. The Man guffawed as he looked her up and down, "This ain't the playpen, doll. Go back to your daddy." He said, pushing the twenty back. Adalia Rolled her eyes, then kicked him out of his chair. "I said 'Enter me' and I mean it. Now Do it, Boy." She said, Tossing the Twenty back at him. He picked up the Twenty with a sneer and Asked her name, "Ace of Hearts." She said, smirking. "Your up next." He said, grinning cruelly as One of the Fighters fell and the bell rang. "Perfect." She shot back and made her way to the cage. "Now...The next Fighter we have is a newcomer versus our other previous fighter, Please welcome...Ace of Hearts!" The Announcer called out. The Crowd half cheered and half booed, some whistling as Adalia Stepped ino the cage and shrugged off her coat, feeling slightly anxious. "And Now...We Have...Wolverine!" He Announced as a man stepped into the ring. Adalia nearly laughed out loud when they announced his name, But then started laughing softly when he came up, still feeling her anxiousness. His hair was slightly spiky, but he had that primal look in his eyes that made Adalia sober a little. Keyword: Little. "I don't wanna Hurt Ya, Kid." He said, Looking at her up and down. "That's funny, I was going to say the same thing to you, Wolf Boy." She said, grinning. "I have to warn you...I don't do good in Cages, But do me a favor and don't hold back." She said, Her anxiety getting worse as the bell rang. They went forward toward each other, but then Wolverine fell back as She began to barrage him with manic punches. She jumped back and roundhouse Kicked him, Then punched him forcefully in his gut. He retaliated quickly, Punching her back into the cage wall and Bombarded her with Punches to her gut and face then stepped back when she hit the ground on her knee. "Had enough?" He said, looking down at her. She Spat out some blood, then looked up with A manic Grin. "Nope...I want more." She said, Jumping Up and punching him in the gut with double the force than before. She kicked him in the head, then gave him a barrage of Punches everywhere he was vulnerable. Her anxiety and paranoia fueling her insanity as she fought, forcing him down. She locked her ankle around his suddenly and tripped him up, then Pinned him. She held him there while he was still slightly stunned until the Bell rang again and the Crowd went Crazy. "And Here's Our winner! Ace of Hearts!" The Announcer yelled, the Crowd hooting as she stood. "Just get me out of here before I hurt someone." She said, panting. They Quickly opened the doors and she stumbled out, taking deeper breaths now that she was free from the cage. Wolverine watched her, She seemed calmer and more sure of herself now that she was out of the cage. He still couldn't believe that she could hit him with that much force and not feel anything from his metal bones, yet he felt every blow. Or the Fact that She beat him so easily. She grabbed her jacket and the money and Stumbled off, swiping a beer from a thug's hand and taking a drink of it as she left, making him surprised enough not to go after her.

Wolverine got up and Followed her out, wondering who she really was and what she was going to do with two hundred and fifty dollars. She hailed a cab and got in, calling out some street name Wolverine figured was out in the ghetto. Following them in a borrowed Motorcycle, They stopped outside this rundown building where five different kids came out, all dingy looking and carrying weapons. Wolverine had stopped and gotten off to get a better look. "Yo! Dare you bite the Hand that feeds you?" She said, Getting out of the cab after telling him to stay put. "Ada! Your back! We thought You left us for good, Girl." The Youngest one said. "One Should never forget thier roots. You guys helped me find the Good things, so I'm helping you get back on your feet As Much as I can." She said, giving the Oldest one The Two Hundred dollars. "Buy Enough Groceries to last you. No frivolities. No Junk food. Healthy stuff because I know that Is what you need." She said, looking at the younger ones knowingly. "Awww But Ada, We get bored just beating each other up. I wanna play cards or something." One of the younger ones said. "Then Steal some, Sticky." Another with a cloth over her eyes said, pushing him. They began fighting until Sticky Pulled the cloth from her eyes. A solid gold beam erupted from her eyes before she could shut them and hit Sticky, "Ahh! Get it off! Get it off!" He cried, trying to brush off the ghostly Bats that were attacking him. Adalia sliced the bats in half with her nails, which lengthened to the size of katana blades. "Thanks Ada." He said, Giving the cloth back to the girl. Wolverine stared at the children, then at Ada. They Were mutants too? It would explain why Adalia was so strong and wasn't at all hurt by his bones. "Fine, You can get some Playing cards and Books. No suspicious stuff, though. It would look really weird if A 5 year old bought Quantum Physics books, Wouldn't it Brain?" She said, grinning at the child. "Well, it does get terribly boring reading children's books. I feel that Quantum physics will keep my sanity in it's proper place." He replied, smiling. "Just buy the junk. And no stealing, Sticky." She said, glaring at him. He appeared behind her, "But it's fun." he appeared again with the others, "Can't think of anything better for my wandering hands." He said. "It's a sin to steal. Remember what Father said?" Adalia said, putting a hand on his head to keep him from dashing behind her again. "'God gave you these talents to Do good.' Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I remember." Sticky scowled. "Alright I gotta go. Ow." She said as her nails slid back into place. "You okay?" The Oldest asked, his eyes glinting. "Yeah, I just need Father to get me back to normal. I had Absynthe again." She grinned.

The Children laughed then began to turn and go, but the oldest One kept staring hard at Adalia. "What's up, Wolf?" One of them asked. "Remember what You said, Adalia. You made us swear." He said, His yellow eyes flashing. Adalia's grin disappeared, then she nodded solemnly and walked to the cab. "Stay here for a Few more minutes. I'll add twenty bucks to the total." She said, ignoring his protests. "Okay. I know I promised. Let's go." She said, walking behinid the building and retracting her wings. The Metallic outside glinting slightly in the fading streetlight as Wolf and the others walked to her. "Scyllis, Do it." Wolf said. One of the children reluctantly Picked up a piece of metal and enlarged it enough to cover them. Wolverine Moved close enough so he could see that Adalia had kneeled and accepted a leather strap, which she had put in her mouth. "Ready?" Wolf asked, a hand on one of her wings. She nodded, holding her head down and her wings relaxed, "Try not to scream." He said. He Gripped her wing with one hand, his claws piercing the inside as he Ripped off her wing. Adalia's head snapped back in pain as he gave the wing to Brain and set his hand on the other. Adalia clenched her fists, her nails digging into the flesh of her palms and drawing blood as Wolf Ripped off the other. Adalia cried out in pain, the strap falling from her mouth as she closed her eyes and willed the pain away. She stood, "Thank you...But they'll come back. They always do." She said, looking at her hand then grasping her Rosary. "I really gotta go...It's late." She said, nodding to them and walking back to the Cab. "You guys better be careful...You don't want me to come back." She grinned. They laughed lightly, then disappeared back into the rundown apartment building they had made thiers. (Line)

As Wolverine Watched The boy called Wolf rip Adalia's wings off, He wanted to lunge forward and stop him, but was frozen to the spot. "Jesus..." He breathed when she Stood and the blood ran down her back. Adalia's back had rippled and healed, her hand's wounds, however, Had stayed open. She gripped her Rosary and said something, then walked off and got back into the cab. The children disappearing into the Building they had come out of, Only Wolf lingering outside and sniffing the air experimentally. Wolverine got back onto his motorcycle and Drove back to the institute, thinking about the things he had seen. _Those kids are all mutants, Even that Girl was a Mutant. But why is she doing all of this?_ He just couldn't put those two together. After parking the Motorcycle and getting past Kurt, who was also out late (much to his surprise), He entered his room and laid back on his bed.

* * *

"Here...Greedy bastard." She said, shoving the fifty dollars into the window of the Cab. She walked back into the church and bowed infront of the gigantic cross that rose in front of the Pews. She prayed in Latin, then in German as she stood up again and sought out The priest. "You went and saw those children again...Didn't you?" He asked when she got back to the room she occupied. "Yeah, I gave them my winnings." She said, Taking off her shirt and tossing it in a corner. "I told you to bring them here. They don't belong out there when they could get hurt." He said, turning to look at her. "Listen, those kids there are just like me. They won't take any Shit from anyone and they sure as hell won't trust anyone. They won't trust you, they barely trust me...They only trust each other, Father. Scyllis says 'hey' by the way." She said, straightening her undershirt. "You had Absynthe again, didn't you?" he sighed as she took off her Rosary and cleaned it off, then set it on the desk. She laughed, "Yeah...Dutch gave it to me." She said, turning and grinning. "Show me your hands." he said, taking bandages from her dresser drawer as she held out her hands, palms up. "I see...Why didn't you heal these as well?" He asked, looking at her above the rims of his glasses. "You know It's out of habit, Father." She said, half grinning. "A habit that is better off forgotten." He said as he wrapped the bandages around her hands. "What will your boss say when he sees you typing with these on?" The Priest asked as she pulled away. "They'll be gone by then...You know that." She said, turning and grimacing as a nail slid out. She cut a deep gash in the wood of a desk, next to other gashes that decorated the desktop. "I hurt another guy...just an Honest guy trying to get a buck or two." She said, looking at the gash. "The added effect of the Absynthe in my bloodstream with the Effect of my Containment issues snapped me into a beserker mode. I pinned him down before I could really cause damage...Which was lucky enough for me." She turning and looking at the Priest. "You need to work through your 'Containment issues'. That is what is really hurting you." he said, turning and opening the door. "I know...That's why I never did well in a cubicle job." she grinned and plopped down on her bed. The Priest Laughed then left, Leaving Adalia sitting alone on her bed. When he left, she sat up and her nail slid out longer again. She cut four lines across her arm, then let them heal and retracted her nail. She concentrated and the cuts reopened, droplets of blood landing on her legs as she healed them. "I guess then...I'm not immortal." She said, wiping the blood from her legs and laying back on her bed.

* * *

_Pain. Water. There he is. His glasses casting an evil light on my face again. More pain. I feel a needle now. Something is being put in me. I'm floating. Probably in water. Constant Pain. Metal being pushed into my skin. Bones being crushed with something. Neverending pain. The evil man is in my field of vision again. He wants something from me but he can't get it. He tried to do something to me but it won't work. Who is that woman there? Why is she crying?...And...Why is she holding that needle above my heart? NO!_

"NO!" Adalia cried, sitting up in bed. She let go of the Rosary in her hand, it's jade beads tinkling as it landed on the ground. Father came in and took her hand, which she grasped tightly. "It's alright, my child. The Nightmare is gone." he said, wiping a few strands of hair away from her face. "He was doing it again...That man was doing something to that woman again." She gasped, panting for air. "It is alright, My Child. It was only a Nightmare." he said, trying to calm her down. "Come, it is time you got ready for work." He said, helping her up. She looked at him, then closed her eyes and shook her head, "Right." She said. Father left as She got dressed and Shouldered her backpack. "Are you going to run today, Ada?" A nun asked, tossing Adalia her Rosary. "I dunno. I'll probably take the high road if I do. Thanks!" Adalia Replied, catching it in her hand. Adalia laughed and jumped up into the Rafters, then opened a window that doubled as a door to a balcony. "See ya!" Adalia Cried as She leaped from the balcony to a rooftop, then continuing on to the main city. She stopped when she felt someone watching her, feeling that same prickling sensation one got when someone was staring at you. Adalia looked around, Pulling a strap back onto her shoulder as she quickly continued on.

Later on...

"Okay...It's almost perfect and...!" A woman placed the final pencil on the pile that balanced precariously on the desk. "Yes! Oh no!" She cried, Catching most of the colored pencils before they hit the ground. "That was almost the record!" Another sighed as Adalia came in. "Hey guys! Freeze!" She said, whipping around and catching another trying to sneak up on her. "I have brought Tribute to the Dieties! Krispy Kremes!" Adalia cried, holding up a box of Donuts. "You have been Exalted! Now give us some donuts, girl!" One of them cried, Dropping the pencils and grabbing the box. "Hey! And I thought You had manners, Ivy." Adalia said, holding up her backpack so it couldn't be jostled to the ground. "Calm down! They're just the Necter and Ambrosia we need to survive." Adalia Joked, sitting down at her desk and pulling out her laptop. "Yeah, Unlike Jane here, We all need it to stay young and beautiful." One of them laughed and took a bite out of a jelly donut. The one with dark hair stuck her tongue out at the one who had insulted her. "Instead of getting Young and Beautiful, Beatrice, You get Fat and stupid." Jane shot back, grinning. Beatrice rolled her eyes and sat down, taking a call from her headset. "Gena Richardson & co. Costume designers, How may I help you?" she said, then simmered down. "Oh...Yes, ofcourse. Ada? Did you do the Johnson Project? We need to deliver it if we want to make the deadline." She said, looking over her laptop screen at Adalia. "Oh yeah! Thanks for reminding me. I'll get right on it now." Adalia said, smiling and catching the tube in which they used to deliver the fragile documents. "Johnson Project? You mean the one for that one movie? You got lucky when you designed that, Ada." Gena sulked, holding her donut in her mouth while typing. "I just got lucky and drew the short straw." Adalia shrugged and hurried outside, Running down an alley and kicking up the walls.

She landed on a roof and ran along it, feeling the prickling sensation on the back of her neck again from being watched. She ignored it, then heard sirens going down the main street beside her, then an explosion. Adalia clenched shut her eyes, then ran with the sirens, the tube bouncing against her back as she leaped across the spaces between roofs. She saw a group of people fighting, but red beams erupting spontaneously from the fray. "Okay...So there are more people like me. Just peachy." She said, putting on a mask with a heart painted on the right eye. "Let's go!" She cried, Leaping up and Landing amidst the destruction after tossing away the tube with the drawings inside. "Bring it, Ugly!" She yelled, Getting into a stance. A Man crouched infront of her, "Well 'is'll be fun." He grinned. He opened his mouth and a long tongue shot out, taking Adalia by surprise as she quickly got out of the way. "Damn. Guess this'll be harder than I thought." She said, looking at the crouching figure infront of her. "'oo're You, doll? I wanna know what name I should 'arve on your gravestone." He Grinned. "Ace...Of Hearts that is." She grinned, then dove at him. She Pinned him down, catching his tongue in her hand and wrapping it around his neck. "What's your name, hun? I want to know what kinda of friend I made." She said, then to was kicked into a pole, which threatened to fall on a group of people nearby. "Damn it!" She cursed, gritting her teeth with the exertion from her mind. The Pole stopped, but Adalia felt no strain of the added stress, so she looked around. She saw another woman holding up the pole with her mind, but was vulnerable to the Tongue man's attack. She tackled Him before he could attack her, "You didn't tell me your name, Green man." She said, holding his head to the side. "Toad." He said, then knocked her off of him. She flipped and landed on one knee, "Interesting...Let's see if you bleed Green!" She smirked, her hand's nails lengthening.

He lashed out with his tongue, which she dodged and cut into the side of his face. She saw the blood on her nails, "Aw...I was hoping it was green." She said, flinging the blood off. She saw something out of the corner of her eye and looked toward it, "Hey! Get outta here buddy! It's dangerous!" She yelled to the man that caught her eye. It was the same guy she had taken down in the Fight cage. She looked up and and ran toward him, dodging bits of Debris that were flying toward her. She tackled him out of the way as a car had hit the place where he was just standing, "I told you to get outta here!" She cried, then was kicked into the Air by another mutant. "I was gonna do tha'." Toad said to him. "I don't care. Magneto said we were just gonna get the broad." He growled, Walking over to Adalia. "Bring it, Scary Kitty." She said, jumping up and kicking Down the hulking mutant. She side kicked Toad into a car and yanked up Wolverine, Who jerked away from her. "I can help myself, thanks." He said acidly. "Then Get Outta My way, Pinky!" She Yelled and shoved him out of the way. "Wolverine! He went this way!" Someone with a visor on called. Wolverine looked from him to Adalia, "Go...I'll take of these two." She said, keeping her eyes on the two mutants infront of her. Wolverine turned and followed The one with the Visor as Adalia grinned under her mask. "I'd ask your name, But Right now I want you guys out of here." She said, her nails sliding back. "Too bad. We ain't leaving without you." The hulking Mutant growled. "Come on and 'urry up, Sabertooth." Toad called, Tossing someone onto his Shoulder. "Shut it, froggy." Adalia called, kicking up a bar and throwing it at Toad. He caught it with his tongue and tossed it away, "Fiesty, aren't ya?" He smirked as Sabertooth Went forward and punched at Adalia. She ducked and began punching his gut, then uppercutted his jaw. She stepped on his knee, then backflipped off of it and kicked him in the jaw, landing roughly on her stomach when Toad grabbed her leg with his tongue and threw her off balance. The air left her lungs as she gasped for air, getting to her knees. She looked up only to have Sabertooth punch her in the face, then kick her in the stomach again as she hit all fours. "Bad...kitty." She coughed, laughing as best as she could. She felt another blow to the back of her head, knocking her out instantly.

* * *

"Took ya Long enough." Toad said, shouldering his 'cargo'. "Shut up." Sabertooth Growled as he Picked up Ace with more care than one would think he had. "What do ya suppose Magneto wants with her?" He asked, looking at the unconscious woman in Sabertooth's arms. "Dunno. Probably for another experiment. I don't know why he'd want that blue thing, though. He ain't much use to us." Sabertooth replied, looking ahead. "I don't see why I have to carry Him. Why can't I carry her?" Toad complained, adjusting the mutant on his shoulder. "'Cause you Might Drop her." He growled, the Jet appearing infront of them. "Would no'." Toad said defensively, Dropping the Mutant he had into a cage and snapping a collar onto his neck. Sabertooth Gently set Ace down on a table and strapped her in, snapping a collar onto her neck. "Come on and 'urry it up. We need to get these two to Magneto before those damn X-men get ahold of us." Toad said from the Pilot's chair. Sabertooth Growled, shoving Toad out of the chair and sitting down. He manipulated the controls and the Jet flew off with Ada and another captive in tow. He's Blue, has a tail, and is currently faking unconciousness. 


	3. Unite and Flee

"So You finally decided to come back?" Magneto said as Sabertooth and Toad came in, carrying Kurt and Adalia. "She put up a good fight." Sabertooth said, putting her on the table infront of Magneto. "I see." Magneto Said, Looking at Adalia's Mask. "Shall we Unmask this little Songbird?" He said and Carefully lifted the mask from Adalia's face. Toad's eyes widened, She was beautiful despite the paleness of her skin and what he previously found out about her. The Only thing that set her apart from looking normal was a faint line that reached from her right temple to her jawline. "Another TellTale sign that she is who Striker says she is." Magneto said, smiling cruelly as he gently traced the scar down her face. Seeing Magneto Touch her that way made Toad want to Hurt him, but he restrained himself. "I want tests run on her to see what makes her so that Striker is so eager to continue his work on her." Magneto said as Mystique nodded and began prepping some of the equipment. "What should we do with him?" Sabertooth asked, nodding toward Kurt. "Put him in Iso. He will be tested once This one is done." Magneto said, still staring down at Adalia's Pale face.

Toad walked off with Kurt over his shoulder as Mystique Took a syringe and stuck it in Adalia's Arm, taking a small amount of blood from her. Toad came back and groaned inwardly when he saw her blood. Adalia's Eyes Snapped Opened as She leapt up and backflipped over Magneto's Head and landed on her feet. She stared at her captors, Her muscles tensed as she saw Sabertooth and Toad walking slowly toward her. "_Wie Heisst Du? Wo bin Ich!"_ Adalia Shouted in German, Her hands erupting in Fire. The Two Stopped when she spoke, obviously taken aback by her sudden outbursts. Metal Beams came out of nowhere and folded around Adalia, constricting her arms to her sides. The Fire spread to the rest of her body and began melting the metal, causing even more surprise to Toad and Sabertooth. "Bring it, Metal-Bender." Adalia said, The Fire burning hotter as the metal dripped onto the ground and solidified. She Broke free of the bonds, the metal hissing as it touched her skin and began burning it. Adalia ran toward them as her skin rapidly healed, but was held back again by an unseen force. "Let Me Go!" She yelled, fighting the control that anchored her to the spot. "I don't think so." Magneto said as he walked toward her. Adalia's conciousness that she was trapped was fueled by her rage, Her anxiety were even making it worse as she forcefully broke from the control over her and leapt for Magneto. Sabertooth was much faster than he looked and swiped her out of the air, knocking the air from her lungs."I can see why he would want to Finish his work. Control over you is getting difficult." Magneto said with another cruel grin. She struggled to get up, but was pinned down by the foot on her back, slowly squeezing the air out of her. "Let me go, you Bastard." she said in warning voice. "In due time, my dear." He said as Mystique jabbed a needle into Adalia's neck and injected a liquid into her. "No! I won't...stop...figh...ting..." Her speech slowed as the drug took effect and knocked her out. "Take her into Iso. She will need to be broken as soon as we find out what makes her so angry." Magneto said as Sabertooth carefully picked her up. "Mystique, Examine her blood for any abnormalities other than her Obvious Pyrokinesis abilities. I want to see what Striker had done to her." He said and went back to his own Office. Toad headed to his room after taking the mask from the table, hiding it away in his coat. He crouched on his bed, Staring at the mask. It was made to resemble a jester's mask: Half of it was black with a depressing frown painted white on it, the other white with a black grin and a heart over the eye. He Turned the mask over in his hands, admiring the crafted work. It looked like it was made of porcelain, but it was made of what looked like Iron. "Why wear a mask when they could find you anyway?" He asked himself as he stared at the depressing frown.

Kurt Watched Sabertooth come in and open the Cell door, then Gingerly set the Girl down on the cot. His gaze stayed on her face for a moment after putting on a collar, then he abruptly turned and locked the cell door and left. Immediatly after, She looked up then stood and looked around, "Darn...I was hopin' for something easier. I can't figure that this would be, But it is...Kinda." she said. Kurt Looked up as she stuck her head through the bars and began examining the lock, "Hm. Looks like it would take a jab or two...This lock looks a little Fruity." She said, struggling to free her head from the bars. When her head broke free, She lurched back and slammed into the bed. "Ow." she stated, rubbing her back. "Are you alright?" he asked, her eyes slightly glowing in the dim light. "Yeah...Just think I won't try that again." She said. "Who're You?" she asked, crouching at the bars. "Kurt Vagner. Some Call me Nightcrawler." He said, watching her. "Kurt Wagner, huh? Cool. My Name's Adalia. Adalia Romanikoff. But You can call me Ada Like all my friends." She said, Stretching. She tried to lengthen her nails, but the collar prevented her from doing so and gave her a painful shock. "Owie! That Hurts!" She said, trying to rip off the collar. "They Prevent us from using our powers." Kurt said, fiddling idly with his. "Aw man...That means I have to break a law this time." She said and reluctantly pulled a pin from her hair, letting it down partly. "I really...Don't like breaking laws. I feel like I am commiting a sin." She said, poking around at the collar. She found a small hole and put the pin in, then began wiggling it around until she heard a click. She yanked off the collar and rubbed her neck, slightly whimpering at the loss of her mask. "Father Joseph made that for me, too." she said, standing and pocketing the Collar. "Who is Fazer Joseph?" Kurt asked, still watching Adalia's movements. "He is one of the blacksmiths that make some of my...Necessities." She said, holding her arm over the lock. She looked away from her arm and one of the previous cuts split open and blood spilled onto the lock. Her blood melted away at the lock and it snapped open, letting Adalia comfortably walk out the door. "Need some help?" she asked, grinning as more of her blood spilled onto the cell door's lock. "Yes, if you don't mind." he said, coming closer to the bars. She gasped when she saw him, to which he retreated back into the shadows. "Oh Man...They Got You, too? Don't worry, Father Elliot can help you too." She said as the lock snapped open and she stepped in. "Come on, we need to go." she said, holding out her hand as the cut healed. Kurt was somewhat confused. Hadn't she seen what he looked like? Why wasn't she afraid? He stepped forward and took her hand, to which she moved quickly and his collar fell to the ground, cut in half. Her nails were a milimeter from his neck, then slid back into her fingers, "Sorry. I have anxieties about containment devices. I uh, I'm trying to work on it." She said sheepishly. She looked around then shoved her hand through the door, jerking it open again as she dragged him down the corridor.

"You know the way out?" she asked when they stopped at a fork in the hall. They heard an explosion as Sabertooth slammed against the wall and stopped, "Woah...Cool." She said, then began to walk forward, but stopped when she saw Wolverine. "Jeez, Are you Stalking me or what?" She exclaimed. "I would say the same to you, But I guess-" he Was Cut off when Sabertooth Kicked him back down the Hall. Adalia Ran Forward and Tackled him, withdrawing the Collar from her pocket. "Time for a nap, Kitty kat." She said and snapped the collar onto his neck and held on when he tried to buck her off. "I said, 'Good Night!'" She Yelled as She grabbed his head with her legs and flipped, slamming him into the ground. She stood there for a minute, then turned, "Come on! The rest of your buddies are probably here." She said, grabbing Kurt's hand and Stampeding down the Hall until they disappeared in a _bamf_ and a puff of smoke that smelled like brimstone. When they appeared in one of the main corridors, she stepped and hit the floor, moaning softly. "Ugh...That...Was wierd." She said, turning slightly green. "You get used to it after a while." Wolverine said from behind them. "Vat took you so long?" Kurt asked one of them, who was wearing a visor. "Traffic." He quipped as Adalia got up. She let down her hair and shook it out, "Since your in your place now, I would like for you to take me to mine. I can't belong here otherwise I might cause more trouble." she said. "No, You must come vis us." Kurt said, Looking from one of the Mutants to her, most likely asking for help. "No. I must leave immediatly before anything else happens." She said, keeping a hand by her side to clutch at her Rosary. "Kurt's right, You have to come with us in case Magneto comes for you again." One said, Adalia looked at her. "You can do nothing to change my mind. I will stay in my sanctuary until God tells me otherwise." Adalia Said stubbornly, then closed her eyes and willed her genes to become like a chamelion's. In a moment, she was gone.

Kurt was taken aback when she disappeared and looked around, "Didn't see that one coming." Wolverine Said sarcasticly as they began to search for her. "Xavier warned us about her, you should have listened." Jean said, raising an eyebrow. "She said she had a sanctuary. Maybe it's nearby where we fought those two." Ororo said, nodding toward Toad and Sabertooth. "She also told me about a friend of hers, Fazer Elliot and Fazer Joseph." Kurt offered as they made thier way to the jet. "Looks like we're headed to a church, then." Scott said as he set the controls and they flew off.

Adalia watched the jet leave, then went back into the building to find her mask. She saw Toad and Sabertooth and felt a bit of Pity, then took off Toad's collar and put it on Mystique. "An Eye for an Eye..." she whispered, then picked Toad up and took him into a more private place. She dropped him and propped him up against a wall, then Gently shook him awake. He opened his eyes slightly, rubbing his head until he saw Adalia Crouched infront of him and lashed out with his tongue. She caught it and had one of her nails at his throat, "I'm not going to hurt you if you don't hurt me. I only want my Mask back." She said, carefully letting go of his tongue to allow him to speak. "I don't 'ave it. I don't know wot they did wi' it." He said, Adalia closed her eyes in frustration. "You reek of the Adamentine in that mask. You either have handled it, or you have it on you. Now tell me or i'll go against my better judgment." she said, her nails sliding out. "I tol' you already, I don't know. They Handed it to me and I put it down somewhere." He lied, shifting uncomfortably under her grasp. She still had a hold of his sore shoulder and was hanging over him with her nails resting against his midsection. She caught his gaze and stared into his eyes, searching for answers. Toad was completely tensed, her nails had stopped growing and were grazing against his slightly exposed skin. They Slid back into her fingers as she stood, closing her eyes and turning away from him, "If you ever find it...Give it back. I trust you enough to atleast do that." She said and walked out, then running past Sabertooth and Mystique, both already beginning to come to. She jumped up and checked out her back, Only half off them were completed so she was stuck to the ground. She Looked behind her, then willed her genes to morph from lungs to Gills as She dove into the water. The skin between her fingers growing until it reached her fingertips, allowing her to swim even faster. She shot forward in the water, her clear eyelids closing over her eyes to protect them from the salty and polluted water. As she was getting even more tired, her wounds began to open again, making the Water around her turn Crimson. She choked slightly on the water flowing in her gills when she resurfaced near the land, her skin and gills returning to normal as she gasped for air. Exhausted, she pulled herself up unto a ladder in a shipping yard and hit the ground, still gasping for air. "Hey! Hey! Guys get over here!" She heard, but was too tired to look up. A group of workers ran up to her and gently turned her over onto her back, "Is she still alive?" One asked. "'Course she is, you idiot! She's still breathing!" Another said, "Yeah, But she's bleeding pretty bad, man." A younger worker said. One crouched down so his face was hovering over hers, "Are you okay? Can you Talk or somethin'?" He Asked. Adalia tried to find her voice, but coughed up a little water and managed to work out, "Sanzibel Church.". "Woah...She already wants to get married, Johnsy." A Burlier joked as he nudged the one hovering above her. She grabbed his collar and pulled him close, "Take me...to Sanzibel church." She Whispered, then passed out.

Kurt looked up at the gigantic Church infront of him and Felt a sense of foreboding, Almost like the angels were watching him and judging him on the spot. He nervously shifted from one foot to the other and messed around with his Image producer as they waited for the door to open. A priest opened the door and Looked at them, "Can I help you?" he asked nervously, staring at them. "We're looking for someone named..." Scott began and looked at Kurt. "Adalia Romanikoff." Kurt finished, looking up. The priest looked alarmed for a moment, "Who are you?" He asked, inching the door closed. "We're old friends of hers." Wolverine Cut in, interrupting Scott. The Priest then did something that was unexpected, He pulled out a semi-auto from his robes and aimed it at them, "Back away slowly and get the hell out of here. Your not Getting her." He said ominously. They were shocked enough to see that he had a gun that they didn't react as well as they should have. "She ain't going anywhere." He said. Wolverine was the first to act, slicing the gun in half and pinning the man the door, his claws at his neck. "Quit playin' around. Where is she?" He asked. The priest was calm, "Figures Striker would have sent his Lackey. Kill me if you must, I won't ever talk." He said, raising his head to keep his neck away from the claws. "Wolverine, Put him down." Jean Said, which he grudgingly obliged. "Your against Striker? Then Why were you so ready to attack us?" Ororo asked. "Not very bright, are you? Come in, You must talk with Father Elliot if you want to know about Ada." He said and led them in, closing the door behind them.


	4. Learning From Elliot

Kurt And the Others walked between the pews, the hundreds of candles lining the front and sides giving more light than one would expect. Not very many things were electrical, It was mostly candles and torches that illuminated rooms and corridors. They stopped infront of a priest who was bowing infront of a large cross that towered over the small band of mutants. "Father Elliot, _Rask namun ifto nat Stryker. Nakum Graftu sero Kurt._" The priest whispered to the bowing man. He looked at him and stood, then turned, "I see...You are dismissed." He said, and the priest walked off. "My Name is Father Elliot. Please, Come to my office. I actually had been expecting you later on down the road." He said, turning and leading them down another corridor.

He opened a door and held it open for them, each one entering and looking around. Only Wolverine looked at the Father like he was trying to remember something. Father Elliot closed the door and sat down at his desk, "Adalia isn't here. She hasn't come back since Sabertooth and Toad had Abducted her. I suggest you forget about your search for her and Return to Xavier...He will understand." He said curtly. "How do you know so much about Magneto and Xavier?" Storm asked. "I used to work with Stryker. I know about each one of you...Ororo." He said, looking at her. "Why are you keeping her away from the Academy? Why didn't you send her there?" Cyclops asked. "Why should I tell you everything I know?" Elliot replied, knitting his fingers together and resting them on the desktop. "We have other less pleasent methods of gathering information if you prefer them." Wolverine said, his claws sliding out with a _snikt_. "I'm not threatened by you, James. Quite the Contrary, in fact." Father Elliot said, looking at a slightly annoyed Wolverine. "I was one of the scientists that Experimented on Adalia. Several others are also part of the Conduit Program. We found that she wasn't going to be able to resist Stryker without the serum, so we gave her the ability to resist. We strengthened the walls of her mind, stretched it to accompany vast amounts of knowledge, and smuggled her out. She was a Pyrokinetic before her Mother gave her away to him. She's...a bit like you, James." Father Elliot smiled. "I worked on you, too. You were an amazing subject. We all thought you were dead for that first time." He said, looking at Wolverine. "You...helped them do this to me?" Wolverine asked, staring at the Father. "Of course, I was the one issued to keep you alive." Father Elliot said. "I was the one that took care of the minds of our experiments. Before We...allowed your escape and smuggled out Adalia in the process, We suppressed both of your memories. Only Adalia kept having nightmares when she got older, thinking it was some different person it was happening to. Every night, a nightmare would come to her and she would in turn come running to me. Seeing a young child tormented by such memories made me only want to end it. But I couldn't. I know I couldn't because of the possiblity the boundries would break and she would cause harm to many people." He said, staring at Wolverine's hands. "What about her nightmares? What were they like?" Wolverine asked. "Always the same: Pain, Submersion in water, Her bones being crushed, Metal being inserted into her skin. The Pain was the Aftermath of the experiments that actually worked, the Submersion in water was actually just a solution we use to get better in tune with the nerves and cranial cavity. Her bones were broken to find, isolate, and speed up the healing factors. Of course, the problems we were having were becoming to big of a risk. She kept fighting against the serum and eventually built up an immunity to it." He said, turning and staring at the stained glass window depicting the Left hand of God striking down a powerful demon. "Vat About ze metal?" Kurt asked softly, almost hesitantly. "The metal, my son, was The needle bearing Adamentium being injected not only into her skin, but her bones and nails as well." He said, turning to look at Kurt. "You don't have to wear that in God's house. No one will judge you here." He added, smiling softly. Kurt shook his head, staring at the man before him. A boy burst through the door, "Father Elliot! Adalia is back! She has brought more than stories to tell, sir!" He cried, holding out his hands. The were slightly scalded and covered with blood. "Go to the Infirmery and get treated for your hands. Her blood can't enter your bloodstream, So go quickly. Run!" Father Elliot Ordered. Immediately the Boy turned and ran, his feet moving faster from fright.

Elliot Flew down the hall, his footsteps echoing down the long corridor with the Xmen not far behind. He skidded to a halt infront a crowd of Robes, "Disperse!" He ordered them. They quickly moved out of his way as he hurried and kneeled by Adalia's side, "You've tried waking her, correct?" He asked, looking up at the Priest from before. "Yes, sir. Even tried Ice. We got nothin'." He said. Father Elliot took the Rosary from Adalia's hand and rested the Onyx cross on her forehead, murmuring in Latin. Kurt strained to listen, but only caught a few words. Adalia gasped as her eyes opened and she doubled over, coughing up water mixed with blood. Her skin rippling and growing up over the wounds as she looked up at him. "Thank you, Father." She said raggedly and hugged him. She rubbed her head as he helped her up, "I can heal and all, But the pain's still there." she said, smiling weakly. "It will pass." He reassured her. She was about to say something and saw the others, then motioned for him to come closer. "Father...I did it again." she whispered. "God will forgive you." he whispered back, grazing her forehead with his lips. She Looked at Wolverine, then at Kurt and the others, "Guess you found me again, huh?" she asked, smiling politely. "Now I know your a stalker." she said under her breath, making all but Wolverine laugh. Wolverine's Claws slid out as he pinned her against a solid oak wall, going straight through her shoulders. His eyes were empty and Emotionless. The wood behind Adalia's shoulders began to burn as her blood ran down it, making intricate patterns. "Ada! Quit foolin' Around." A Boy from a small row of children said as they walked by. "Hush, Raphael." A nun shushed him and pushed him along with the other children. "Ada, Let him go. We have much to debate about." Father Elliot said as he walked back to his office. Ada sighed, then Said, "Anger is not the Answer.". Wolverine pulled his claws from Adalia's Shoulder, them coming out clean and unscathed as they slid back into his hands. Her shoulders healed as he blinked and shook his head, the color coming back to his face. "What happened? I feel like I got whacked by a sledgehammer." he said, rubbing his head. "Actually, It was Cerebral waves. Similar to those that most telepaths use." She said, smiling. "Come on, I'll show you around the Abbey if you want." She offered. "No thanks, We actually need to take you back-" Scott began. "Absolutely not, Adalia Seere Romanikoff!" A Nun interrupted as she stomped toward them, looking peeved.

"You almost gave me a heart attack! Bleeding all over the floor! Not to mention wet and unconcious! You could have caught your death of...well..." She trailed off when she couldn't find a disease she wasn't immune to. "Can think of anything can you? Don't Worry, Nan...I'm okay now thanks to Father." Adalia smiled, bowing. "You still scared me, dear. You know I can't take much more of this excitement." She said, her voice now softer. Nan was a very stout woman, with greying red hair and light brown eyes. She was much stronger than she looked, quite literally; She was one of the flawed experiments that had escaped from Styiker's base, cursed to age yet be invulnerable. "Why would I be leaving, anyway? It wasn't because of last night, was it?" She asked. "Of course not, Ada...We just need a safer place for you." She said, smiling softly. Ada looked down, slightly worrying about what had happened when she nearly crushed some of the praying children by the gigantic cross. Luckily, Wolf had followed her and caught the cross in time. "You have to be more careful...If you weren't, You would have to go into purgatory for that." he had said. Ada Paled when she remembered that. "You five just make yourselves at home...Father Elliot will be with you shortly." Nan said and she pushed on Ada's shoulders. "You can control people's minds but you sure can't control them enough to stay out of trouble." She sighed as she pushed Adalia out the door. Kurt was still a bit confused, Too much information was buzzing around in his head. A little while later, Father Elliot had returned with Adalia, "Ah...I see you are patient enough to wait." He said. Adalia was much calmer now, And still shy enough to stay silent. Wolverine mumbled something, making Adali smile and try to keep herself from laughing. He looked at her as thier eyes met, then hers nervously shifted away. "Now...You want to Remove Adalia from this Church here, and place her in your Academy? I would say it is out of the question any other day because She still has much to learn. Even though her studies here have surpassed that of what you teach there, She still needs to learn more. She's quite brilliant and she has an insatiable appetite for knowledge." He said, Bringing Adalia in front of himself. They began a debate, each of them adding thier own two-bits into the convorsation. "You really don't have to go to any trouble." She told them. "I want you to go, Ada. You deserve to leave this crowded abbey and go out into the world." He said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, then nodded, "Yes, Father. I will do as you ask and go." She said. She turned to the others and bowed, "I would be honored to go with you." She said, smiling. "Then It's settled. We'll leave tonight." Scott said, sounding slightly optimistic.


	5. Back To the 'Normalities' of Life

**Disclamer:** I don't own the X-men(Got X2, though), But I do own the Church, Adalia, Wolf and the Outcasts, and etc. etc.

**Warning:** Under no circumstances are you to steal the Nightcrawler plushie! Doing so will result in punishment. The punishment is to be stuck in a doorless and windowless room(but it has air conditioning)with Ben Stien while he talks about Black Matter, If cheese tastes 'Yellow', and Why there is so much air in the atmosphere. The same will go for the Wolverine Plushie, Only it will Ben will be talking about the government and why they want to subdue your thoughts through subliminal messages and episodes of Dr. Phil. Thank you for your cooperation.

* * *

Adalia sighed as she put her journal in a pocket of her bag. She had only used the bag once, and that was when she moved from Elliot's private home to the abbey. She was nearly finished when Father Elliot came in, "You'd best leave some things here...In case you do decide to return when you have found your purpose." He said and she looked at him. "You...Want me to leave, don't you?" She asked, looking at the ground. "Yes...But not for the reasons that you think. I love you, Adalia...But you have to go out and find the purpose, Not wait for it to find you. I don't want to do this, but I forbid you to return to this abbey until you have found the Purpose. If you do before the bracelet is removed, the entire abbey will be closed to you for eternity." He said, then slapped a silver bracelet onto her wrist. Caught by surprise, she stumbled back and hit the dresser, knocking down a statuette of jesus on the cross. Immediatly her reflexes picked up and moved her hand under it, the statuette catching on her fingers and balancing there. She looked at Elliot, who was sternfaced as the bracelet became part of her skin. She silently set the statuette back on her dresser, then stared at it for awhile. "You...Really mean it?" She asked. "Yes." he said after a while.

She turned to him, then thought of herself after she had escaped. "Then remember me as I was." She said, hugging him. He put his arms around her awkwardly and hugged her back, "I always do." he said. When she pulled away, she was back to normal: Gentle brown eyes and darkened brown hair and somewhat pale skin. "Put on your gloves, we don't want another accident, now do we?" He said and she nodded, smiling as she took the gloves from him, Careful not to touch his skin. A polite knock at the door snapped them out of the trance as Kurt shyly stepped in, Elliot knew what he wanted and nodded. "She's just finished." He said before Kurt could speak. Ada picked up her bag and gently brushed past Father Elliot and Kurt, Her eyes glued to the ground. She almost looked like she was being executed instead of just going to an academy where there were people like her...And In a way...She was. When she saw the two gigantic doors leading to the outside, She almost ran back to Nan to beg her to lift the curse. Kurt looked behind him and saw Ada standing just inside the doors, staring at the door frames until she hung her head and walked through them. Ada herself felt something being taken from her soul as she stepped out of the church and she felt much colder as she stepped aboard the jet. She settled herself in the back and stared at the floor, not willing to look at the church again in case she would leap up and run back in. Kurt looked at Ada then sat down and strapped himself in as the others did as well. Storm sat in the cockpit and started it up, and even then Adalia felt homesick. When she used her altered vision, she saw through the floor and choked back tears. The younger children and most of the teachers there stood outside waving. Ada smiled and looked up at the others to make sure no one was watching, then sent a tiny flare through the floor of the jet. The children screamed and laughed, trying to catch the bits of flare as the teachers shook their heads, smiling and knowing that that was her goodbye.

Ada smiled to herself as she altered her eyes again and she could see normal. She blinked and rubbed her eyes for a moment, then jumped slightly when someone spoke. "We're here." Storm said and Adalia got up with the rest of them, still smiling about the excited squeals of the toddlers as they held the tiny bits in their hands and would later set them in their rooms for nightlights. Kurt looked sideways at her and saw her smile, wondering what she was thinking. Ada looked up at the Academy and felt a sense of foreboding...one that went with her no matter where she went. She stopped and looked around as the others went on, Nightcrawler stopping to look back at her. Ada felt that she would stand out there, but something inside her reasoned that everyone who stood out went here. "Mutants..." She whispered, already knowing she was one of them. She found other people staring at her and kept her eyes to the ground as she silently followed The X-men. They Stopped outside Double doors and a Voice said, "Come in.". Ada looked around the office and found it oddly normal, Much like Father Elliot's office. She moved slightly to the side as to hide behind Wolverine, because no matter how much Nan and Father Elliot told her, she couldn't get rid of her shyness around people. And Right now, She felt more comfortable standing behind the tall man who she had fought. "Professor, Here's Adalia Romanikoff. She was the one kidnapped by Magneto." Cyclops said, and Xavier looked at her, Or atleast, A part of her. "It's alright...You have nothing to be afraid of." He said, a smile on his face as she looked up in surprise. She slowly moved from behind Wolverine and looked at Xavier, "It's an Honor to meet you Professor Xavier...I have heard much about you from Father Elliot and Sister Nan." She said softly. "Have you, now?" he said, looking at her. "Yes...Father Elliot has taught me much about you and my...Gifts." She said, Having forced the word 'gifts'. Xavier nodded, "Then I think you will like it here." He said as she nodded and murmured thank you.

Wolverine was getting bored and started to leave, but Xavier stopped him, "Logan...Why don't You show Miss Romanikoff to her room." he said and Logan Sighed. "Alright, Come on." He said and Ada obediantly followed. "Logan? That's your name?" She asked as they walked down one of the halls. "Yeah. And Yours is Adalia...Bit of a wierd name if you ask me." he said as the two turned down the hall. "Well, Wolverine is a wierd name." she Shot back and he grinned. There was silence, but then she surprised him by asking, "Do you remember your family?". He stopped and looked at her, her brown eyes innocent as they questioned him. "No." He answered, continuing on. "Do you?" he asked. She was silent and when they got to her room, and before he left she said, "No..." He turned and looked at her again. "Is that...normal?" She asked and he shook his head. "Then I guess We're in the same boat...The only thing we can do is search for what we're missing." she said, smiling a small smile. "I guess." He said, closing the door behind him. Soon, Ada's room was made her own and she was sitting by the window, sketching a few birds that she saw. When She finished, she smiled and closed her eyes, concentrating on the picture as she placed a hand on it. When she lifted her hand, the birds she drew rose from the paper and began flitting around the room, twittering and singing. She smiled and held out her hand and they flew to it, sitting comfortably in her palm. She looked down at the blank page and sighed, then returned the birds to it. She sat against the wall and drew more, creating more creatures that she preferred to keep 2-D. A knock at her door interrupted her thoughts as she looked up, "Come in." She said and Kurt walked in.

She smiled when she recognized the blue mutant and stood up, "Hello, Mr. Wagner. I'm glad I could see you again." she said. "Please...You can call me Kurt." He said quietly, smiling. "Alright..." She said, nodding. "So What brings you to my door, Kurt?" She asked as she moved to her dresser and began putting the Sketch pad and pencils away. "It is almost dinner." he said, looking at her from the angle of the mirror. "Really?" She said, looking out the window. It was a few hours until dusk and she tilted her head, Just how long had she been drawing? "Wow...How long had I been drawing?" She said softly. "Drawing?" He asked she nodded, blushing. "Um...Yeah. I draw a lot to keep my head clear. Do you...want to see some of my drawings?" She asked nervously. "Um...Sure." he said and she pulled the sketch pad out again. She flipped open the first few pages and showed him many sketches of what she saw around the abbey. They were incredibly accurate, Or from what he had witnessed. One of the last pictures she had shown him was of Father Elliot sitting at his desk, but was turned to look out a regular window with his thin-frame glasses in his hand. "This is...Incredible." Kurt said as he looked at them all. "Thank you...I never really show people this, But by the looks of you I can tell you can keep a secret." She said, then leaned over him and flipped a few pages back. She closed her eyes and placed her hand on the picture and concentrated. When she lifted her hand, the lion cub looked up at them with big, gold eyes and yawned. "If I wanted, I can make them alive." she said. The Lion cub jumped off the pad into Kurt's lap and curled into a ball. "Amazing..." He breathed, touching the Cub's fur and ears. "Yeah...When I get lonely sometimes...I bring out one of my drawings and I'm not so lonely anymore." She said, smiling as she pet the cub. He looked at the Clock and said, "We'd better hurry if ve vant to eat." He said and she gently picked up the cub and set it down on the pad, "Okay." she said and instantly the cub sunk into the paper and became a drawing again.

At dinner, Ada hadn't spoken so much since she first met the Outcasts. She laughed and spoke about most philosophies and everyday life, Then, when It got serious, She told them about what she remembered and what she didn''t. "Sometimes...When I look at Father Elliot...Or even Logan...I have an odd feeling of deja vu." She said, then laughed. "I must sound like a total idiot..." She said, smiling. "No, you sound perfectly normal." Kurt said and the others nodded. She looked at them, Then stood and excused herself. "If you will excuse me, I think I will go to bed now." She said, as her dishes vanished and she walked off to her room. She closed the door and leaned against it, sighing. At Midnight, She got up again and crept back out, making not a sound as she crept out the front door, Unaware that she was being followed. A Growl made her freeze in place and she turned to look in the eyes of a yellow-eyed wolf. She sighed and stood, "You almost gave me a heart attack, Wolf." She said and the wolf turned into an eighteen year old boy. "Your late..." He said. "Yeah...Sorry." She said sheepishly.

"Mmm...Sheep?" He said, grinning. "Huh?" Ada said and Wolf Pointed upward. "Oh...'Sheepishly'...Means like, embarassed or something." Ada explained. "Oh...Hn." He hummed in disatisfaction.

She followed him into the forest and smiled when she saw the Outcasts, hugging Scyllis and slapping Naga's hand. "So...Have you gotten acquainted with your new comrades?" Brain asked, walking over to her. "Yeah...and The blue one that I helped escape stays here with the guy I had to fight." She said, sitting on a rock. "So they are just 'Guys' now? What happened to...What was it again, Wolf?" Brain asked, a half smirk coming across his face. "I believe it was, 'Possible nuisances', Brain." Wolf said, looking at Ada. She laughed, "Not even...The Blue one's Name is Kurt Wagner, Or Nightcrawler, and the other one Is Logan. His other name is Wolverine." She explained. Scyllis gave her a piece of paper and pencil, "Ada...Can you draw me a firedrake?" She asked. "Oh, Scyllis, I can't...You know what would happen." Ada said. "Please?" Scyllis whispered. Ada sighed then took the paper and pencil as she drew out a Firedrake, then brought it to life. The only thing she did different was keep the drawing still on the paper, "If anything happens, rip up the paper. The Firedrake cannot survive without the paper it's drawn on." She said.

Wolf sniffed the air as Ada looked up, "What's up, Wolf?" She asked. "I smell someone..." He said, looking around. "It's probably just me, Wolf...I been around people all day." She said, turning back to Brain, Naga, and Jewel. Wolf looked at Ada for a moment, then sat by her side, Listening as she told them about What kind of people she met so far. "There's a woman named Storm, One named Jean Grey I think, I didn't get that one guy's name with the visor thingy, and then, There's Logan and Kurt who're Wolverine and Nightcrawler." She explained. "Wow...I like Kurt's name..." Naga said, looking in the direction of the school. "Yeah...And They're both really nice, Actually." She said. When she shivered, Wolf stood, "You should get back inside before it gets too cold." he said. "Aww...Come on, Wolf! She's not gonna die from this!" another one named Boulderdash said. "Yeah...What Bouldy said!" Ada agreed. "No. It's too dangerous if you even shiver...So Go." He said, pointing. Ada sighed and reluctantly walked back toward the school. "It's not fair." She mumbled and sighed, keeping to the shadows as she went to her room. She Stumbled and strong arms caught her, making her freeze. "Oh crud..." She said softly, then looked up at Logan. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you?" She shot back. "_Touche_." he said and she sighed, "Sorry...I didn't mean to be so rude." She said.

"Mmhm. What were you doing this time of night?" He asked, looking down at her.

"Oh...I just..." She tried to think of a reason.

_A case of Insomnia._ A voice whispered in her head.

"I just couldn't sleep." Ada said, smiling nervously.

"Hn."

_Thanks, Brain._ She said back to him, then side-stepped Logan. "I'm just gonna go off to bed now...See you in the morning." She said quickly, then ran silently down the hall and into her room. When she gently closed the door, she sighed and leaned with her back against it. "_Mien Gott..._" She sighed, then picked up her Rosary and sat on the bed as she tossed her shirt into a corner. "I wonder if Father Elliot is teaching someone else Latin...I could never really learn that language as well as I did German." she sighed, looking at it. She curled up on the bed as she gripped it and settled into a fitful sleep.

_Sight...I can see...There he is again. What's he saying? 'Sebastian...What are the techniques for this subject? I've already seen your second Subject, Wolverine.' he says. Wolverine? Who...? 'Yes...Well, We are still developing them But She's coming along quite well, sir.' The scientist said. 'Good...but I expect to see your notes on her abilities when they are finished.' he said. 'Yes, Mr. Stryker.' Sebastian the scientist said and followed him out. So long...Who's this? A woman came in and drained the tank I am in. My legs won't work but she manages to get to the back of my neck. Something's stabbing into it, but is quickly pulled out again. 'What are you doing!' A furious voice...'I'm saving her from that fiend! he shouldn't be doing this to her!' Fighting, then screams...and then nothing._

Adalia Gasped as she sat bold upright in her bed, almost crying out for Elliot. Her hand tightened around the rosary in her hand as she shivered, wearing nothing but an undershirt and shorts. She remembered this wasn't the Abbey when she saw the bracelet on her wrist and sighed. A cold breeze wafted in from her window and she quickly shut it, heating herself by her flames. She cooled down the flames as she returned to her own body temperature and looked at the clock, groaning for It was 4:00 am. She sighed and pulled on boots, jeans, and a t-shirt with a black dragon on it an the chinese sign for 'beware' and the translation on the back. She took her sketch book out and began sketching a werewolf, adding the final coloring last as she made it blue. She labeled him 'Lucian', from a character in a movie she admired. She gave him intelligence, but not a human form because it wasn't what he was. When she looked up again, it was 6:30 and she hurried to put away her book and leave the confines of her room. She wasn't really sure where to go, but just simply followed everyone else and ate alone. She put a hand to her chest and went outside, the weight on her chest making it difficult to breathe. She closed her eyes as flashes of visions passed through her mind. She opened them and let out a shuddering breath, her other hand braced against a tree. She remembered the names and looked up, then hurried back inside to tell professor Xavier.

She shifted her eyes so she could see through walls and found him teaching a class, but not after shifting them several times to avoid seeing too much of things she shouldn't have. She waited outside the class room, Actually trying to get rid of her bright red blush. _Maybe I shouldn't do that around here..._ she thought, sighing and willing her face to go back to normal. She sighed in relief and walked forward only to get smacked in the face by the door, which had just opened. "Ow." She stated, then rubbed her nose. "Oh man, I'm really sorry." a boy said, obviously the one who had opened the door. "It's okay...I've been hit with worse." She said, smiling sheepishly. "My name's Tom." He said, smiling. "My name's Adalia...But just call me Ada." She said, shaking his hand. "It's really nice to meet you." She said politely, then remembered why she was there. "I need to go. I kinda need to talk to Professor Xavier for a moment." She said, then walked in as she saw Logan. She smiled politely and looked at Xavier, "Um...Professor, I had another dream last night." She said. "Really? What happened?" He asked. "Well, It was relatively similar...But I could see and hear...And I heard two Names: Sebastian and Stryker." She said. Logan and Xavier exchanged glances, but a class was walking in so Ada hadn't noticed. "So do you guys have any ideas of who they are?" She asked. Logan Shook his head while Xavier said, "No...But I promise you that when I learn something, I'll come straight to you.". She smiled and nodded, "Thank you both...Thank you very much." She said, then looked at a clock. "Oh My Goodness! I'm late!" She cried, then ran out. She went transparent as she ran through the halls and into her room, taking up her laptop, pencils, and second sketchbook with the designs, and running out. "Bye Guys!" she called, waving. A Car drove up as Wolf rolled down his window, "Late Much?" He asked. "What're you doing with Beatrice's Car?" She asked as she got in. "She let me borrow it." He said casually. They sped off as he rolled up the window, "You like it there?" He asked. "Yeah...I guess they won't let me take classes yet, But hey, you never know." She said, shrugging. "You know they might make you quit your job." He said, resting his arm on the door by the window. "Nah...I don't think they will." she said, shaking her head. "Whatever..." He said as they pulled in. When she got inside the building, She was swarmed with questions. "Oh my god, Are you okay?" "What did they do to you?" "Who was that guy you saved? He was hot." "Where did they take you?" "Who were those people?" "QUIET!" Ada Yelled, covering her ears. They quieted, looking sheepish. "Sheep?" Wolf said, looking up again. "Sheepish." Ada said, then turned to them as Wolf growled in dismay. "Listen and I'll tell you exactly what happened, But you gotta promise not to say anything until I'm done." She said, looking at them. "Scouts honor." They said in unison, then laughed as Ada told them all about what happened. "Woah...That's frickin' awesome, Ada." Beatrice said, slapping her on the back. "So that hottie you saved's nick is Wolverine? Wonder if he really is an animal..." Nami said. Ada nudged her, "Oh quiet! He teaches P.E. in the school I go to." she said, sketching out another copy of the project she lost. "Well he can wrestle me anytime." Nami murmured as the rest of them laughed and got back to work. A few minutes later, Ada brought it to life as he tromped around the room, "How's that?" She asked. "Wow..." "Better than the last one." "Yeah." They said, nodding as they looked at her."Wolf? What do you think?" She asked him. He stood and walked over to the Werewolf and looked at it, walking around it as he looked. "Hn...It's accurate." He said then sat back down, reading through a magazine. Ada called for it and it stomped back to her as she slid the pad under his paw and it sucked him in. She tore off the sheet and went into the back room to get a tube to keep it in for transportation. She looked around, but looked at the closed door when she heard voices.

Wolf mildly payed attention to the yammering women that considered Ada's mutation nothing but a quality that made her thier friend. "Wolf? What do you think?" Ada asked and he looked up at the Werewolf that she brought to life. He stood up and walked around the Werewolf, noting that it really did look more like him. He nodded slightly in approval, "Hn...It's accurate." he said, then walked back to his seat and picked up his weapons magazine again. He heard Ada call for it and smirked slightly, Knowing that her drawings would always listen. He heard her go into the back, but his eyes shot up at a new sound of the front door closing. "I'm here for Ada..." A slightly green man said. Wolf Stood up protectively, though he was eighteen his mutation Made him much taller than he should be, but kept him lean. "What do you want with Ada, Green Man?" He asked slowly. "I've gotta give her somethin'..." he said, looking up slightly to him. "Whatcha gonna Give 'er? A sleeping shot to kidnap her again?" He asked, his nails growing into claws. "Actually no...I prefer ta kill 'er now." He shot back. Wolf Growled Viciously as they glared at each other. Suddenly they were both pinned against the wall by an invisible force, "Enough!" A voice cried. Ada was standing there, her arms outstretched toward the two as she held them against the wall with her mind. They slowly were set down as She walked up between them, "This isn't a battle zone and I don't want this to become like the Inner City!" She said firmly, making them both look down shamefully. "Wolf...I can take it from here." She said as he stubbornly nodded and whipped back around as he walked back to his chair and sat down. "Mr. Toad...Please come with me." she said, walking back to the storage room as the others stared. When she shut the door behind him, she sighed and sat down, "Why are you here? What do they want with me?" She asked. "They didn't send me for you...I came mis'self." he said, looking at her. "What for?" She asked, looking up at him. "To return this to ya." He said, smirking slightly as he produced her mask from his coat. "My mask!" She said, getting up and taking it from him. "Thank you!" She said, overjoyed so much she Hugged him. He was caught by surprise, but awkwardly put his arms around her and hugged her back. She soon realized what she was doing and pulled away, blushing brightly. "I apologize...I was just so happy, I-" "It's alright..." He said, smiling slightly. She picked up the drawings and a tube, then fit it in, "Gotta get to work." She said, smiling nervously as she hurried out. "Guys I got it back. He returned it to me." She said, then Ran out and left. "I hope she gets this one there...he's probably already got someone on it, though." Tammi said, sighing. "Is she always that Cheerful an' shy?" Toad asked. "Yep...That's our Ada." Beatrice said proudly. "Never would know her any other way." Susan agreed.


	6. Learning Anew?

The Next Morning

"Mmmm...F-Five more minutes..." Ada mumbled in response to someone shaking her. They shook her again as she swatted them away and went back to sleep. She heard a sigh, then cried out when she flew off the bed onto the floor. "Hey! That hurt!" she shouted, rubbing her back. "Next time get up." Logan said, scowling. She growled, then remembered what she was dressed in and blushed, "Do you mind leaving? I would like to get dressed." She said. Logan cleared his throat and stepped outside, Looking Sheepish.('Sheep?' No Wolf. Sheepish. 'Gr...') She sighed, getting rid of her blush as she pulled on her jeans and a shirt. She put on tennis shoes and brushed her hair, tying it up into a ponytail. "Can't believe you couldn't just...No...that wouldn't work." She said, shaking her head. "Cold water could just kill me." She said, shrugging a shoulder. "You can't handle the cold?" Logan Asked. "No...Father Elliot says if Iget caught infreezing temperatures, I could go into hypothermia and die in minutes." She said, shrugging. Logan secretly marveled at how she could stay so calm and carefree, _How the hell does she do that?_ He thought to himself. "Oh well...Atleast if I did go out, I'd get to see the snow." She said, smiling. "So...What am I gonna do today?" She asked. "Well, We've gotta test you and see How much you know." He said. "Since it took us two days to find you even with Cerebro." He sighed. "How did you do that anyway?" He asked.

"Do what?" She asked. "How did you protect yourself from Cerebro?" he asked again. "Oh...Ummm. I don't know. I guess the Metal coating the outside of my wings Protects me from cerebral waves...Kinda like that Wierd guy's Helmet thingy." she said, stretching. Logan sighed, "Jeez kid...Your like the perfect soldier or something." he said. Ada stopped, her eyes wide as the words 'Perfect Soldier' triggered something in her mind. She closed her eyes as flashes of destruction and a terrifying figure crossed her. "Ada...Ada!" Logan shook her gently as she snapped out of it. "Are you alright?" He asked. "I just...Saw something so horrible." She said, her breathing shaky. He wiped away her tears she had unknowingly cried, She placed her hand on his while it was still on her face and said, "Please don't tell anyone about this." she pleaded softly. He looked in her eyes, then looked down as he sighed and nodded. She let him go as she made herself look normal and put on a smile. "I...Don't even think it's real, anyway." She said with a half-smile. They continued on, Ada still thinking about what she saw. She half-hazardly worked on the test, her mind thinking about other things besides the questions. She felt a tap on her shoulder and looked up, "Huh? Am I done?" She said, then looked and saw that half her answers were written on the desk. She blushed, "Sorry." she said, smiling sheepishly.('Don't even ask.' Gr.) "It's alright." Storm smiled. "You can go now." she said. Ada got up and slipped out the door, going outside as she sat near the basketball court and watched them play, Half-interested. She looked down, wondering if she would ever get to see Father Elliot again. She sighed and fiddled with her Rosary, "I hope everything works out okay...I mean...Without me the Church might get hurt. Can You just watch over them, God?" She asked, looking up. "...And protect them." She finished softly.

"This is incredible...Almost impossible." She said, reading through Adalia's answers(Copied from the desk, of course). "Her mind stores away so much information and simply just accesses it when she wants...It's almost as if she's a computer." Storm said. "Are you sure these are correct?" Xavier asked, looking at the results. "Checked and Rechecked." she said. "What? You're tellin' me this kid's a Genius?" Logan asked, turning from the window. "Almost passing it up." Xavier said. "But She's not even 21 yet." He said, baffled. "She would pass through college within the year if she went to it." Xavier sighed. "The only thing she does need to work on is her language." He said, smiling. "She can speak German very well and write latin somewhat, But she can't write German at all and can barely speak latin." He said. "Elliot said she was still learning...But I never thought she would know all of this and still need to learn." Storm said as she shook her head. "You'd think she would have gotten tired of learning." Logan sighed.

"Ada!" A voice cried as there was a grunt and thud. "Hi...Jean." She said, coughing slightly from the force of the child's tackle. "Good to see you got your strength back." she said, standing up as she patted her head. "Yeah! And you know the first thing I did when I got it back?" she asked. "What?" Ada said. "I wrestled Sticky and beat him!" She cried, jumping up and down. "Really?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Yeah!" "Then You can Beat me!" Ada cried, tackling her as the two began to wrestle. Jean threw her toward the Basketball court as Ada flipped and skidded to a stop, her eyes gleaming. "Full out battle, huh?" She said. A tall black figure rushed out of the forest as it landed in front of Ada, "Of Course." She said. "Bring it on." Ada grinned, then Dashed at Jean as she leaped up, drawing out a small dagger and Plunged it down. Ada caught it inside her enlaced nails, making a net with them. "You can do better." she said, then kicked her off. The Kids that were outside watched with great interest, one of them running off to tell others. Jean and Ada circled each other, Then lunged at each other and Kicked back, repeating every so often until Ada flung her dagger away. Jean Grabbed ahold of one of Ada's nails and broke it off, creating a makeshift shortsword. Ada looked at her nail-less finger and frowned, "That hurt." she said as it grew back twice as strong. She retracted the others as she broke one off and grinned, "Well then,Let us Dance." She said. "You need to stop playing Soul Calibur 2." Jean Said, running at her. Thier 'Swords' collided as they grinned at each other, Slight sparks coming from the force on the swords. Ada kicked her back as she bent completely back and flipped, her limbs moving gracefully. "Jeez...Again with the Voldo thing." Jean sighed, looking queasy. "What about this?" Ada asked, then bent back and grabbed her ankles as she rolled toward Jean. "GAH! Don't do that!" She cried, shuddering as she jumped out of the way. Ada appeared behind her as she whispered in her ear, "Nyah nyah.". Jean Whipped around and their swords caught again, sparks flying once more. A voice called Ada's name as she looked and got kicked down, Jean holding the 'sword' at her throat. "Ada!" the voice called again as a fierce wind blew in. Jean looked at Storm trying to concentrate as she Helped Ada up and kneeled down, then grabbed the side of her ankle, then pulled up as she whipped the Cloth around her and disappeared. She smiled as the wind died down and Logan ran up to her, "Are you alright? What happened?" He asked, looking at her. "Just a friend coming to visit...that's all." she said, shrugging as she smiled. "I kinda missed her." She said. "She didn't miss you, Look." He said, pointing to the cut on her arm. "Aw...She got me with one. Ha ha! She's really getting better." She said, healing herself. "Who was that?" Storm asked as she walked up to them. "My Friend, Jean. We call her that 'cause That's what was on her dog tags." she snickered, then innocently walked past them as she went back to her room. They stared after her like she was crazy.

She showered, the water scalding hot to keep her body temperature normal. She sighed, her muscles relaxing as she shook out her hair and dried it. She sat against the wall in shorts and shirt, sketching out Wolverine. She chewed on the end of her pencil, thinking as she looked at the drawing. She added more definate lines, "He's Defiant...Almost angry. He doesn't like the rules put out for him." she said, making an all new sketch. "He...really wants...the same thing I do." She said, Finishing quickly. She blew on it to clear away the excess graphite and looked at it. The Drawing was almost lifelike, It looked almost as if it would jump out of the page even without her help. She nodded, then Remembered Kurt. "I'll have to talk to him more..." She concluded, nodding. "Now I just need to get up and-And...zzzzZZzzz." She instantly fell asleep from the exhaustion.

_'That's enough.'...'There won't be fighting...Not anymore.'...'She is an Abomination! She Deserves to die!'...'Elliot!'_

She Sat bolt upright, breathing heavily. First thing she noticed was that she was off of the floor and in her bed and covered with a blanket. The second thing was her sketchbook still lay open to the page with Wolverine on it. She covered her face with her hand and tried to distinguish the visions of her dream. She wiped off the sweat, "Abomination..." She said softly. She stood up and changed, not feeling the need to sleep any longer.

She wandered around the school, but stopped when she saw a woman with red hair, "H-Hello?" She called. She pointed to the left of her, but when Ada looked there, then looked again she was gone. She walked to where she saw her and looked, seeing a door. She placed her hand on the knob and turned it, but found it locked. "...Okay. That was the freakiest thing I've ever seen." She said. She lengthened her nail and slid it into the lock, then twisted it open. She stepped inside and found it to be an ordinary room. "Well that was a disappointment...I was hopin' for buried treasure or somethin'." She said, then shrugged as she looked it over again. It looked like it hadn't been used in a long time, making Ada even wonder if this room was even occupied at one time. She sifted through the drawers and picked up a small book, then dropped it instantly when wave of memories slammed into her. It almost knocked her off of her feet. She swallowed, panting softly as she slowly moved toward the book and looked at it. It sat there on the dresser innocently. She braced herself, then picked it up and held on as the memories flooded through her. She grit her teeth as she withstood the voices, emotions, and thoughts. It finally stopped as she hit her knees, gasping for breath as tears flooded her eyes. She hugged the book to her chest as she cried, Sobbing silently. "Jean...Grey..." she said, looking up as her now red hair fell into her eyes. "Am I Jean Grey?" she asked. "Who...Am I?" she said. "Am I Ada? Am I Jean Grey?" She repeated.

She Grabbed her head, "I...Am Ada." She said finally, Her hair returning to its normal color. She looked at the book and picked it up, reading through it. "Her Diary...That's why I became her..." She concluded. "Brain." She said as he appeared. "Yes, Adalia?" he asked. "Jean Grey...Died. Didn't she?" She asked, looking over her shoulder at him. He was silent, then said, "Yes...But You've been seeing and hearing her like she was real." He said. "You think your going insane." He said. She nodded, "You are not, I assure you. However, You are suffering from the loss of your sanctuary. You've found a way to tap into the realm outside of ours because of this. Jean Grey...Is not about to give up, however. Her abilities have Evolved...and I know she will be back." He said. "That is my diagnosis of this dilemma. Now If you will excuse me...I will return to my own haven for it is quite late. Early Morning, In fact." He said, then disappeared. "Thanks, B." She said softly, looking at the diary. "So...She isn't quite dead yet..." She said to herself. "I wonder..." She looked out the window. "What are you doing here?" a Voice asked. She whipped around in surprise, seeing Cyclops standing there. "I...uh..." She tried to think of an excuse. "Get out." He said. "Now!" He yelled. She gasped, stepping back in fear and accidently bumping into the dresser. He stepped toward her but her eyes widened in fear as she shifted through the wall and fell. She flipped around and landed on her feet, looking up as the window opened and he stuck his head out. She turned and ran, Whistling shrilly as a gigantic wolf came running up beside her as she leapt onto it and held on as he Ran.

Scott watched her ride the Wolf, but the rage that had ahold of him a moment ago was gone and he realized what he had done. He raised a hand to his forehead, _What have I done?_ He thought. When the rest of them got up he told them what happened quite shamefully. "You scared her off!" Logan said, his voice rising. Scott looked down, still ashamed of himself. "We'll have to find her...We should go to the places where we think she would be. Namely the Church. She could have returned to Elliot." Storm said. "Speaking of Elliot, I recieved a message from him earlier last night. It contains a complete documentation of Ada's developement at Akali lake." Xavier said. "She went through as much anguish as you had, Logan...But there are somethings that do not make sense at all." He said. "Go out and search for her...I'll have to read through this more." He said, going off. The others decided to split up, Logan already knowing where to search as Scott and Storm went off to visit the church.

Ada trembled under the blanket wrapped around her, "I thought he was my friend." she said softly. "Sweety...Did he hurt you?" Dutch asked, kneeling infront of her. "No...But he yelled at me. I felt his anger. And it hurt." Ada said, on the verge of tears. "He was really sad...and and hurt...but he was really angry." She said. "It's okay, sweety, your gonna be okay." Dutch said, hugging her as she gently rubbed her back. "It's gonna be okay." she said, like she was talking to a child. "I got the tea." A woman said, plopping down as she held it out to them. "Thanks, Naomi...Did Stephanie and Jess get back yet?" Ada asked, sipping it as she tried to calm down. "No...They're still looking for the guy that came into herwork." Naomi said, shaking her head. "Oh..." Ada said in dismay. "Hey...Don't worry. We'll find-" There was a knock at the door down the stairs and they looked. The guard standing in front of the door slid the panel back and looked, opened it after Dutch yelled at him. "Oy...quit shovin'." Toad's voice came from up the stairs. "Thanks, Sniper." Dutch said, then waved him away. Sniper settled in front of the door again, closing his eyes to concentrate on the sounds on the other side of the thick door. "Go ahead and sit, Guy-" "Toad." Ada corrected, taking another sip as Dutch sighed. "_Toad_." She corrected herself, then Continued. "We need to talk." She said. "Ada told us all about you. Naomi here filling in when Ada couldn't really make a description and she didn't have her sketchbook." She explained. Toad sat on her bed, his leg drawn up with his arm resting on it, "So? What ya want?" He asked. "What's the Deal with this Magneto guy? Why's he want her?" Dutch asked. Toad had two choices, Tell them or say a few rude things and try toleave. But as he looked at Ada, he felt sympathy toward her and explained to them what Magneto wanted. Dutch was silent, her arms folded across her chest. "Okay...So Lemme get this straight. Magneto wants Mutants to rule the world and he wants the humans to go Blow themselves? What's my Ada have to do with this?" She asked.

"I dunno. He thinks Stryker made her do to something to humans, But the old geezer died before Magneto could find out." He said. Ada shivered, "What do you mean...Made me?" She asked. "Nothing, Sweety...He probably wanted to do something to you, but he couldn't get to you." Dutch said comfortingly. Ada nodded and went back to playing Rummy with Naomi, Stephanie, and Jess. "Listen...You need to keep your voice down when talking about that Stryker guy...Elliot told me all about him and his 'Relationship' with Ada." Dutch said in his ear. "Go and Tell your boss that he can go and-" "Dutch...I want to meet him again." Ada interrupted. "What? Ada, No. The guy's a psycho." Dutch disagreed. Naomi and the other two nodded, agreeing with Dutch. "He has an arguable opinion." She reasoned, looking at her. Dutch sighed, she knew how much Ada loved an argument and how much she understood a lot of things other people couldn't. "Someday you might...But now Your blue buddy's here." she said. "Kurt?" She said, then squealed andflew down the stairs as Sniper held open the door for her.


	7. Questions, Questions, Questions

Logan Parked his motorcycle outside the half destroyed Hotel, Looking up at it. A tall, lanky Boy came outside, staring at him with slightly yellow eyes. He walked over to Wolverine as three others came out and walked behind him. Wolverine got off his motorcycle and met them halfway. "Are you lost?" The boy asked. "No...I'm looking for Ada." He said. "You must be Logan then...You don't look like a Nightcrawler to me." the Boy said, Walking around Wolverine as the other three followed, looking at him up and down. "It's funny. I expected someone more...impressive." He said. "She told you about us." Logan said. "More than you know. Jean." He said and the little girl stopped in front of Logan. "You see...She's our Very well known friend. A maternal type of figure, if you will." a small boy said. "We are not humans, But Mutants like you are. We would not allow you to take her even if she was here." He said. "And Who are you?" Wolverine asked. "The Outcasts...I am Wolf. The little girl you see in front of you is Jean, That's Brain and Sticky." Wolf said, gesturing. "I was fighting Ada that one day." Jean said, smiling up at Logan. "Do you know where Ada is?" Logan asked. "She could be with Dutch...I mean, Dutch is like her mom, Only...She beats the crap outta anybody who so much as looks at Ada wrong." Sticky shrugged. "Where's the bar she works at?" He asked. Wolf looked at him carefully, then told him. "If you hurt her even once...You'll find a lot of mutants and humanswill be very angry at you." He said. "Because here...is where she is safe." he said. "Safe From Mutants like you." He said then whistled, then walked back into the hotel with Jean, Sticky and Brain following behind him. Jean looked back at Logan before closing the doors.

Even as Logan rode out of the slummish part of the city, He felt the eyes of everyOutcast on his back. 'She is safe from mutants like you.' What was that supposed to mean? He didn't like Wolf, but since Ada trusted them he felt he had too as well. He stopped outside the bar, Then Went in, But already Ada was hugging Kurt. The Bar itself was entirely empty save for three coming down the stairs. Logan smiled despite his slight feeling of jealousy, "Need help?" He asked. "It vould be appreciated." Kurt gasped. "Hey Ada." Logan said. "Logan!" Ada cried, transferring herself from Kurt to Logan. Kurt sighed in relief as Logan suffered from Ada's death grip around his neck, But he smiled regardless. "I'm glad to see you to." He said. "Ada! Let go of the man before you kill 'im." Dutch called, wiping off the counter. Ada obediantly let go as Logan told her why they were here. "You guys are looking for me? Aww..." She said, beaming. "I'm sorry I ran off...I got scared." She apologized, looking down. "Sometimes she fights, sometimes she runs...It's always a coin toss with her." Dutch grinned. Naomi and Stephanie were sitting there at the bar, eating their lunch, but thier shoulders were shaking slightly with laughter. Toad came down the stairs, Jess following behind. Upon seeing him, Logan's claws slid out with a _snikt_ as the twoglared at each other, Kurt joining in when he found his breath. "My odds ain't good, but i've 'ad worse." Toad said. "Funny, me too." Logan said, glaring at him. "HEY!" Dutch yelled. The three looked at her in surprise, "I Ain't gonna have my Damn bar destroyed by three fucking Mutants with Anger problems, Damnit!" She Yelled. Ada stepped in between them, "I sort of agree with her, but without all the profanity. Dutch asked Jess and Stephanie to find Toad so I could talk to him, so he's cool." Ada said, looking at Kurt and Logan. "Ada, He's with Magneto! He kidnapped you!" Logan said, looking at her in disbelief. "He Apologized." She said simply.

Logan tried to say something, but he was too dumfounded. Even Kurt and Toad himself couldn't think of anything to say. "He apologized to me when he came to my job, so I forgave him. I don't think he _really_ wanted to do it." she said, turning and smiling at him. Toad nodded, his mouth still hanging open slightly. Dutch rolled her eyes and shut his mouth, "Yes...Her logic is Baffling, isn't it?" she asked sarcasticly. That snapped them out of it as Logan sighed, "Fine...But your coming back with us." he said. "Okay." she shrugged, not putting up much of a fight. Toad brushed pass them, heading outside as Logan glared after him and retracted his claws. "But...What about that guy?" she asked, looking at Logan. "Scott won't hurt you...He was just angry, that's all." He said, patting her head. "So he's the one she was talking about." Ada said, finally putting two and two together. "Who?" Kurt asked, looking at her. "Jean." Ada said. "It was Jean...Grey, I think." She said, nodding. Logan's jaw clenched, "Ada...Jean Grey is dead." He said. "I know...She pointed her old room out to me, anyway." she said, shrugging. "Can We go home, now?" She asked suddenly. Logan couldn't help but smile, "Okay...let's go home." He said, ruffling her hair. "Hey!" A voice called after Kurt and Ada had already gone outside. Wolverine turned and looked at the four women, "What?" He said. "You take care of her..." Dutch said. "Or else." Jess, Stephanie, and Naomi finished. Logan smirked, "Don't worry...she's Safe with us." He said and walked out. "Come on, Logan!" Ada called. "Alright, alright! Don't get your panties in a bunch." He said. "Hey!" She Cried. Kurt stifled his laughter, unsuccesfully trying to make it sound like a cough.

* * *

After Scott and Ororo got back from Visiting the church, They found Ada talking animatedly with Logan and Kurt. She laughed at something Logan said, but fell deathly silent when Scott walked up to them. "Umm...Ada...I'm sorry." he said, looking down. She looked at him, then hugged him, "It's okay...You had every right to." she said, pulling away and looking at him. He looked at her, then nodded, Still feeling bad. "She says 'hi' by the way." she whispered in his ear, then Answered Storm's call. He stared after Ada, His skin paling as he realized who she was talking about. "Xavier wants to see you." Storm said, then led Ada to his office. Scott looked after Ada, still shocked about what she said. "Scott?" He snapped out of it to see Kurt looking at him. "Are you alright?" He asked. Scott nodded, "Yeah...fine." he said, then walked passed him. Kurt looked confused for a moment, then _Bamf_-ed off somewhere.

"You mean I actually have to learn more history and math?" she said, sighing. "Yes...Your quite intelligent in everything else, we thought your math could use a little assitance." Xavier said, his fingers steepled in front of him. "Oh...But What about History?" she asked, tilting her head. "It needs much more." he said. "I can't help it if I view history as a mangled mass of Fiction and fact. They're stupid enough to change a little history to make themselves look good." she said, glowering. Logan snorted, but disguised it as a cough as the Storm, Xavier, and Ada looked at him. Ada smiled a bit, but hid it as she looked out the window. "You'll take P.E., As well. Seeing as though you're in shape..." He Trailed off when She went transparent. "Ada?" He said. "Hm? What?" She reappeared again. "You weren't even listening, were you?" Xavier asked, a slight smile on his face. "No...I was thinking about something." she admitted. "Sorry." she said. "It's alright...I understand." he said. "Yeah...My Mind's kinda open right now, huh?" she asked. "Yes, It is." He said. She righted herself so she sat facing him, "Um...I just have a question. When will I learn the rest of my Abilities? I know I have more than just my wings and nails and fire." she said, twirling her hair around her finger. "That is a good Idea...You can go into the Danger Room with Wolverine or Storm if you would like." Xavier said. "That sounds like fun! Let's Go, Wolvy!" She said, Taking his hand and practicly dragging the annoyed Logan out of the room. The other two grinned asXavier said,"Storm, Could you please bring Kurt to me?". Heturned to the window as she left. "Sooner or later Ada will have to know she not alone." He said softly, sighing.

"Wahh!" Ada Cried when a large robot appeared in front of her. She leapt back as she turned and ran, but she soon was surrounded. Her breathing soon became rapid and irregular as they closed in on her. Her eyes were wide, then they narrowed as Ada's instincts took over. She growled as her nails lengthened dangerously and she leaped up, slicing through them like they were paper. She worked herself into a frenzied sort of dance, slashing away at anything that threatened her. She slipped on a piece of metal and fell on her backside, snapping her out of her frenzy. She blinked for a moment, then laughed at herself as the hologram disappeared and Logan came in. "Jeez Kid, you okay?" He asked, helping her up. "Yeah...hee hee...That was kinda fun." She said, smiling. Logan sighed, shaking his head, "You're a very confusing individual, you know that?" he said. She nodded, "Yep." she said. "Let's do that again...Only harder." she said, grinning as her nails grew out again. He grinned and nodded as he went back out. The Room became an endless plane as twenty robots appeared. They attacked as sliced away at them, ducking and dodging and slashing away. She grabbed the head of one the robots with her legs and another by the shoulders as she flipped and slammed them into the ground. One slashed at her back but she caught it in her nails behind her. "Nice try." she grinned, then whipped around and cut through it.

Thousands more appeared as she smirked and flung her hands out, the nails breaking off and flying through the robots. She bent back and flipped to avoid the deadly flying 'blades', jumping and ducking to dodge them as she finally closed her eyes. Logan watched her, stunned, as she dodged her nails so cleanly. His jaw dropped when he saw her bend backward like that, and he continued to watch her like that until she destroyed the very last one and held out her hands as the nails shot back to her, But one had snapped back and cut her arm. "Owie..." He heard her say, frowning. She looked at her clothes and saw cuts in them, "What! I can't believe I got my-Oh forget it." She sighed. The skin rippled and grew back over her arm as she smiled, "Just like new." She said, then looked up at him. "Hey! How'd I do!" She called. He snapped out of it and pressed the intercom button, "You did great, kid. Come on up." he said. "Okay!" She said, then disappeared and reappeared behind him. "Well, that was fast." He said. "I'm learning quickly." she said. "Here...See this." he said, then pressed a button as the two watched her entire training session. "Woah...I was cool!" She said. "What about you? What'd you do for stuff like this?" She asked, looking at him. "Yeah...But I don't think you wanna see it." He said. "Ah fooey. Come on!" She said, bumping him to the side as she pressed a few buttons and pulled up his Training sessions. She watched with interest as she went through every one, her eyes wide.

When the last one finished, she stayed there for a few minutes, then looked at him. "You're really good." She said. "Really really good." she said, Smiling. "Just short of an animal." he said, looking down. "That's not true...You're tactful and you sometimes think things through." she said, her arms around his neck as she hugged him. He awkwardly put his arms around her waist, Then more naturally hugged her as he felt her relax. She pulled away enough to look at him, her eyes scanning his as they looked at each other. Their faces got closer and closer, but a sound jolted them back into reality and they stepped away from each other. Ada turned and started watching her session, pretending to be engrossed in it. Logan turned and saw Storm, "Almost done?" She asked, walking in. "Yeah...She's just reviewing." He said, gesturing. Ada turned around, smiling, "Yeah...I'm pretty good at the whole fighting thing." she said. Ororo smiled, "Well, I bet all that fighting actually built up an appetite." she said. Ada was about to say something but her stomach said it for her, Making her blush. "I'll take that as a yes." She said, laughing slightly. Ada nodded and got up following after her as Logan followed behind Ada, his eyes straying down her back to her rear end. They sat down at lunch, Ada eating politely but ravenously. After finishing, she helped with the dishes and checked her watch and did a bit of mental math. "I need to get to Dutch's place...I'll see you guys later." she said, then ran off as a Car Drove up. "I was wondering if you would ever show." Wolf said, his arm hanging out the window. "Sorry...I forgot." she said, getting in the car. He drove her to see Dutch, then followed her directions to a cage fight. "Just keep yourself focused." he said, taking her coat and handing her the bottle of Absynthe. "Okay...I will." she said, then took a few gulps of the acid green liquid and handing it back.

Wolf sat outside the cage by the door, knowing in case something happened, Ada would want to get out of there fast. Her eyes tinted bright green as she easily beat the next three fighters, knocking them all out before causing too much harm from them. "Your done, Ace. Come on." Wolf said. Ada looked at him, then nodded and told them she was done. "No...You got one more fighter, then your done." he said. "Screw you. Now give me my money or I'm gonna take you out instead." She said, clenching her fist. "One more fighter." he insisted. Ada looked at Wolf and he nodded as she sighed and said, "Fine." "Bring him in." He said. Out came a giant of a man, More fat than muscle. "I'm gonna rough you up, sweetheart." he said, guffawing. She rolled her eyes, "Shut up, you disgustingly fat asshole." she said, then flipped off his massive gut and kicked his jaw. She took one solid punch to the head, making her fly into the side of the cage. She shook her head, then jumped up and grabbed his neck, then whipped around to his back as she rapidly kicked his spine. She grunted as she pulled all her strength into flipping him onto the ground. He lay facedown as she pinned him and won. "I guess It was I who roughed you up." she said, taking the money and walking out of the cage, then the bar. Wolf walked beside her, "That seemed almost too easy." He said. "Who cares?" Ada said, counting out the cash in the car. She gave it all to him, "For you guys." she said as he stopped a few miles from the school. "Just be careful." He said. "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah...Don't get your knickers in a twist." She said, getting out and shutting the door as she walked into the forest and disappeared.

As soon as the moonlight hit her skin she became visible again, standing in the school courtyard. She raised her face to the moon as she closed her eyes, smiling as she sang a song that she had always loved:

_Angel of Music_

_Guide and Guardian_

_grant me to your glory_

_Angel of Music_

_Hide no longer_

_Secret and strange angel_

She continued to sing, unaware that two people were watching her there. Kurt sat in his window, watching and listening Ada sing in the courtyard. He remembered the song from _Phantom of the Opera_, but she sang it better than the one who did. He sighed contentedly, his eyes half open as she went into a different song. Logan leaned against the doorframe, listening quietly to Ada's singing. She soon stopped and sat down, her tiredness finally catching up to her. Kurt slipped back into his room and shut the window as he went to bed, her voice still echoing in his head as he finally fell asleep. Logan stepped out of the doorframe, "Nice tune." he said. Ada looked up, startled, "Did I wake you? I'm sorry." she said, getting up. "No, It's okay. I couldn't sleep anyway." he said, walking up to her. She blushed, "You really like it?" she asked. He nodded, "Yeah." he said. "Thanks." she said, looking up at him. There was a slight silence as she blushed, "Um...Would you...Like for me to sing for you again?" she asked sheepishly('Quiet'. Grr...). He nodded, not taking his eyes off of hers. She sang him a few lines from _The Phantom of the Opera_'s 'Think of Me', Having seen the movie hundreds of times at the church. She finished, but felt weak as her knees gave out and she fell forward. She held onto Logan as he caught her, "Guess you need to get to bed, huh?" he asked, smirking. "Um...Yeah, I guess I do." she said, blushing. "Logan, I..." She looked in his eyes and fell silent, looking up at him as she found her footing and stood up more naturally. He pulled her close and kissed her, Ada closing her eyes as her arms tightened around his neck.

He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms tighter around her. He slipped his tongue into her mouth as she opened hers to welcome it. She held him closer as thier deepened, becoming more passionate. A sharp pain to her head snapped her out of it as she pulled away, grabbing her head as she hit her knees. She grit her teeth as she panted, biting her lip to keep from screaming in pain. "Ada! Ada!" She heard someone yelling her name, but it faded into the blackness that came to claim her.


	8. A Warning and a Promise

Ada shivered in her sleep, her breathing shaky as she wept. Logan stood over her as she lay on the table, "She had massive trauma to her head...I suppose she didn't know it was there and couldn't heal it." Xavier said, looking at him. "She probably went to a fight cage...She does it and gives the money to a group of mutants out there in the city." Logan said, tearing his eyes away from Ada's face and looked at at Xavier. "She'll be alright, actually. I think she's subconciously realized the damage and is healing herself." He said. "She'll probably be awake soon, if not, then maybe tomorrow." he said, then left. Logan wiped away Ada's tears, her scent still caught in his nostrils from when He held her. "Please...Don't hurt me..." She whispered. Logan leaned closer as he said, "Who is going to hurt you?" He asked softly. "Stryker." she breathed, shivering. He backed away, How could Stryker still be alive? He knew he had died, unless he had grown gills in the last few seconds of his life. Logan bent toward her again, "Ada...Is Stryker still alive?" He whispered. She whimpered, her face contorted in pain. "Ada, Is he still alive?" He pressed. She whimpered again, fidgeting in her sleep. "Ada. Tell Me." he said. She gasped as her eyes opened, sitting bolt upright as she grabbed her head.

"Ada, Ada are you alright?" Logan said, taking ahold of her shoulders. "Get away from me...Get away from me!" she said, pushing him away. He swatted away her attempts to push him away and hugged her, trying to calm her down. "Ada it's okay...It's just me." He said, holding her close. "L...Logan...I'm scared." She whispered, burying her face in his shoulder. "Shhh...It's okay, Ada. I'm here." He said, comforting her. She shivered in his arms, but it stopped as she finally calmed down. "It's okay, Ada...I'm here." he said, kissing her head. "Logan...Something's going to happen." She said softly. "What?" He asked, pulling away and looking at her. "I don't know..." She said, looking down. "...But I know it's going to happen soon." she said. Logan heard someone coming and let her go, stepping away as Xavier came in. "Ada, Are you alright?" He asked, looking at her. "Yeah...Still a little sore, though." She said. "What were you doing out there?" He asked. "Earning money for the Outcasts." She said. "How?" Ada sighed, then grudgingly said, "Fight cage.". "I don't want you to do such things anymore. If they needed help, they could have come here." He said. "You've already had massive head trauma, I don't want you to hurt yourself." He said. "Aw Come on! I've already had worse done to me in the past! Broken bones, hemorraging- Wait, This isn't helping me." she said, then sighed. "Fine, I promise I'll stop." She said, sighing. "But You guys gotta take in all seven of them." she said. "Very Well." Xavier said, smiling. "Okay, I'll just talk to them today and-woah." She held her head. "Maybe after I take a nap." she said, Feeling light headed. "Come on, Ada...Let's get you in bed." Logan said as he took ahold of her arm and led her back to her room.

"Logan...Do you think He's right? About the Outcasts?" She asked him. "Yeah...He has a knack for being right." He said, helping her into bed. "Oh...Maybe tomorrow...I can...persuade...them-zzzZZZzzz." She slowly fell asleep in the middle of her sentence. Logan shook his head, a faint smile at his lips. He gently kissed her forehead and left, softly closing the door behind him.

_'Don't do it! She's susceptable to severe hypothermia if you put in there!' 'We'll just have to find out, now won't we?' Please...No more...I feel as if I'm dying. The cold...it hurts. Stop...Stop it...STOP IT!_

"STOP IT!" Ada Screamed, Bursting into flames as her eyes burned red. Nightcrawler _Bamf_-ed in and called for her, Then Faced her flames and tried to calm her down. "Ada! Calm Down!" He said. Ada blinked her eyes returning to normal as the flames flickered and disappeared, "Huh?" She said, then looked at Kurt. "Oh my god, Kurt!" She cried, tears coming to her eyes. She gently hugged him, "I'm so sorry, Kurt..." She said. She remembered about her blood, then slit her palm and let the blood drip on his burns. Almost instantly they healed, the blood forming into his skin and sealing his wounds like they were never even there. Kurt looked at his hands and arms in surprise, "H-How...?" He said. "I was thinking if I can heal rapidly, then the healing factor has to live in my blood...Or something like that. So If my flames can hurt people, then maybe my blood could help them with my burns." She reasoned. "It's hot." he said, feeling the actual temperature of her scalding blood. "Yeah...My body temperature is high enough for doctors to think I'll die of a fever." She said. "Father Elliot gives me a shot to keep my skin temperature Normal...so I can touch people without hurting them." she said, smilling slightly.

"Thank you." She said. "For Vhat?" he asked. "Helping me." she said. "...You're velcome." He said softly. "Why did Magneto want you? I kind of understand why he would want me..." She said. "I do not know, either." He said. "Oh...Oh well." She said and shrugged. She looked out the window and saw the sun was setting, "Even though It's late...Wolf'll still be up. I have to go bring them back here, So Can You tell Professor Xavier that I'll be with The Outcasts and stuff..." She said, then put on a jacket over her shirt and pulled on sneakers. "I'm thinking of flying...It's faster." she said, looking out the window. "But...Vhat's-" he stopped when she had disappeared. He _bamf_-ed out of her room and told Xavier everything when he got to him.

Ada flew down to the slums and landed in front of the dilapitated hotel as Wolf, Scyllis, and Boulderdash came out; Boulderdash jumping into her arms as she smiled. "Hi to you, too, Bouldy." She said. She hugged him and put him down then smiled her best smile at Wolf. "Hiya Wolf." she said. "What do you want?" He asked immediately. Her smiled dropped as she sighed, "How'd You know?" She asked. "I didn't...I was counting on that exact reaction you just gave me." he said as she smacked a hand to her forehead and groaned. "Okay, okay...I want you guys to come with me to Xavier's school." She said. "Absolutely not...We're doing fine here." he said. "Oh Come on! I wanna meet Mr. Nightcrawler!" Boulderdash said. "Yeah, Me Too!" Sticky said as he came out of the Hotel. "Not Me...I wanna meet Wolverine." Rika said with a infatuated sigh. "Yeah...He's friggin' hot." Scyllis agreed, the Firedrake balanced on her shoulder. "Enough." Wolf said sternly and they quieted. "We are not going." He said. "Why not? I promised Professor Xavier...And you know how much I value promises." She said. Wolf sighed, then nodded. He knew exactly how much she valued a promise. "Fine. I will go with you...But how will you get all of us there?" He asked. Ada Grinned broadly as Wolf closed his eyes and groaned inwardly.

"You Couldn't have possibly thought of anything worse have you!" Wolf shouted over the rushing wind. "Actually yeah!" She shouted back. They were flying there, Wolf in his larger wolf form as Ada carried him and he carried Jean, Boulderdash, and Sticky. Scyllis Rode her Firedrake, who was altered to carry Brain, herself, and Rika. They landed outside the school as Ada changed the Firedrake to it's original form and the seven of them followed her in.

_Professor Xavier! I brought them!_ She called mentally for him.

_Thank you Ada...I'll be there in a moment._ He replied.

She played Fire, Water, Sand with Brain while they waited, Scyllis, Rika, and Sticky were playing with the firedrake as Boulderdash and Wolf played chess. The chess set itself was carved completely out of jade, which Boulderdash had conjured. "Move your pawn there." Jean pointed out. "Oh shut up." He said, Moving the pawn. Wolf took it and said, "Checkmate." He said. Boulderdash glared at Jean, who laughed and dodged a rock thrown at her. "You shouldn't have listened to me." She said, her eyes silver as the echo of her conjured form rose up behind her. "Listen to this!" Boulderdash yelled and chucked another rock at her. A tall Figure appeared in front of Jean and Grabbed her, then pulled her out of the way. Jean stood there concentrating as The Figure Stood protectively in front of her, "We Meet again, Jarret." She said, Her silver eyes gleaming. Boulderdash scowled, "Don't call me that, Evian." He said. "Jarret." She said and they leapt at each other. Ada Got between them and held them away from each other. Evian looked at Ada, then faded as Jean looked up, "She didn't mean anything." She said. "It's okay...As long as you didn't wreck -Aaand ya did...Great." She said, looking at a hole in the wall with the rock still stuck inside it. She sighed and pulled it out as she wiped her hand over it and repaired it. "You guys had better stop it." She warned. "I don't want Xavier to kick you out before you even get a room." she said.

"I don't think anyone will be kicked out anytimes soon." Xavier said as he came in. "Oh...Hello Professor." she said, turning and smiling. "Let me introduce you...Professor, this is Sticky, Rika, and Scyllis..." They all waved. " And This is Brain, Boulderdash, Jean, and Wolf." she finished. Jean smiled and blushed nervously as Brain and Wolf simply nodded. Boulderdash leapt onto Ada's Back as she held him up, "So your the smart guy that Ada told us about." He said, looking at Xavier over Ada's shoulder. Xavier smiled, "Yes...That would be me." he said. "Cool...Where do I sleep?" Boulderdash asked, Making Ada and Xavier laugh.

Later on after everyone had gotten settled in, Ada made them all go to sleep, Even Wolf. They grudgingly obeyed, knowing too well she wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. She decided to explore a little more and snuck into a room, and upon seeing a piano, she began to play. First playing a warm up to relax her hands, then Moonlight Sonata, a song she always liked ever since hearing it. She remembered hearing a song from a game that one of the Outcasts used to play, then began playing it, using her memory and a bit of Trial and error. She closed her eyes and began to play, finally able to play it correctly. Logan heard music as he walked back to his room and followed it, wondering who would be up at this time besides himself. He looked in and saw Ada, completely absorbed in her playing and not even noticing him as he walked in. "Nice playing." He said and she jumped, hitting a few wrong keys. "I'm sorry...Did I wake you?" She said, pulling the lid back over the keys and standing. "I'm very sorry, I just-" She stood and started walking, but she stopped when he was in front of her. "You're trying to avoid me." he said. She sighed and looked down, "Yeah..." She admitted. "Why?" He asked. "Because...yesterday...I didn't know if you really meant it. I didn't want to get my hopes up and think something's there when it isn't." she sighed. He lifted her chin so she would look at him, "I did, Adalia." He said, then kissed her. She blinked, then kissed him back as she slowly closed her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she felt him pull her closer.

They stood there like that for awhile, Niether of them able to move away. Finally, Ada pulled away and looked up at him, "Logan...I-" "James." he said softly. "What?" She said. "My name is James." he said. "...James." She smiled. "I like that name." she said. "Compared to yours...It's nothing special." he said. "Adalia's german for noble, anyway...It's nothing really special." She said, then kissed him. He slipped his arms around her waist as histongue played at her lips, making hershe opened her mouth eagerly. She tightened her grip around his neck as thier kiss became even more passionate. When They finally pulled away to breathe, she said, "We'll have to keep it secret.". He nodded and kissed her again, "I promise." he said. "Until It's time." she agreed. She looked at the clock, "I think we should get to sleep." She said. "Yeah...That sounds like a good idea." he said, following after her. He stopped outside her door and kissed her, almost wishing he could go in with her. She pulled away and he smiled when he saw her blush, "Good night." He said. She smiled, "Good Night." She said and Went into her room, gently closing the door behind her.


End file.
